What If
by zxxphyr
Summary: What if our favorite stripper had a younger sister? (discontinued)
1. Character Descriptions

Character Description:

Ash Fullbuster arrived and joined Fairy Tail at 12 years of age, and is currently 13. She has dark brown hair (darker than Cana's) that becomes a bit lighter at the tips, and dark blue eyes. normally her hair is in a ponytail that goes about two inches further than the bottom of her neck (in my head she looks exactly like her mother, but she has her father's eyes) (#hpreferencesish) She's average height, and like Wendy, has no chest whatsoever. However, she relishes in this fact as being busty can be rather inconvenient (and it keeps people's eyes on her face). Her navy guildmark is on her left collar bone, and can be seen when she wears her normal attire, a dark gray halter top, black skinny jeans, and brown leather combat boots. ash also has a silver bracelet with a cross dangling off of it, similar to her father's earrings and her brother's necklace. She has a rather caustic sense of humor sometimes, and her temperament can be compared to that of her brother however, she is not as dense as he is, normally is more composed, and does not have a stripping problem. During battle, she is quick thinking and can usually come up with decent strategies on the fly. However, in times of pent up emotion, she tends to have the need to release her emotions in either the form of tiring herself out or completely melting down. Her friends always come first, whether it's a battle, a relationship, or anything. She uses Ice Demon Slayer magic, which her father had been teaching her before he was murdered, and her right wrist features similar black tattoo-like patterns.

Wendy Marvell is exactly the same. she is a sweet, innocent girl who knows her shit, except when it comes to a certain wannabe-Natsu-Dragneel

Romeo Conbolt is usually confident without the oppressive Ryo Dreyar hanging around. he's got a bit of a dilemma trying to sort out his feelings about a sapphire haired sky slayer.

Ryo Dreyar is a muscular, broad shouldered, hazel eyed blond bastard. He is a bit of a bully,but he would never hurt his nakama and they are his priority to protect in a fight although he enjoys ruling over the rest of the gang (mostly Romeo because Wendy's too cool and Ash and Thorn don't give a damn). The fourteen year old Lightning Make mage usually displays an arrogant attitude and loves being right. Ryo is the grandson of Makarov, the cousin of Laxus, and fears the previously mentioned as well as Erza and Mira, although Natsu, Gray and Gajeel can keep him in check usually. He normally wears a black baseball tee with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows and the first two buttons unbuttoned, partially because he enjoys flaunting his chest muscles. He dress in dark khakis and like a variation of those "trendy" Nike shoes that rich kids like to wear at my school. (I'm sort of picturing mini-laxus but I want him to be his own person still) his black guildmark is on his right pec. Surprisingly, he's sort of a neat freak, and travels with a briefcase like bag. Ryo is also rather intelligent and plans out his actions accordingly.

Thorn Hisakawa is a fourteen year old Water Dragon Slayer. Much of the navy haired boy's past is a mystery, and unlike the other dragon slayers he remembers his biological parents. his gray guildmark is on his left shoulder and he normally dresses in dark colors, although it tends to vary. He has dark brown black eyes and a single lock of his spiky hair partially covers a scar that runs through his left eyebrow and towards his temple. Although Thorn is muscular, He is not "huge" per say, and is lean and fit. He is usually quiet and opens up to a select few people. Many may think that nobody is listening but with his sharp senses and seemingly idgaf attitude he knows all the happenings of the guild. He is not affected by motion sickness as much, presumably because of some herbs he was force fed as a child by his dragon, Hydralga.

 _hey!_

 _so this is_ _what if_ _again. just revised, reread, and reorganized._

 _please pm me any suggestions you have!_


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

I was twelve when I first arrived.

I remember watching the door fly open as I stared up in awe at the most infamous, most destructive and most powerful group of mages featured in Sorcerer Weekly.

I remember how the four tall, striking figures were too occupied to notice me. Her scarlet hair was swaying as she laid a long fingered hand familiarly on the hilt of her sword. Her hips were tinkling as the golden keys swung on a belt, and then, the two of them were squabbling ferociously, their insults and fists flying simultaneously.

And then I remembered how I realized I was holding my breath the whole time, and released it, completely relieved, that he hadn't recognized me.

He probably wouldn't have anyways.

* * *

 _hey, its zeph._

 _please read and review at your leisure._


	3. Chapter 2

-f _lashback_ -

"You have to find him, okay Ash?" my father said, looking at me squarely in the eye, "You have to; it's your only chance." His hands squeezed tightly around my slim shoulders.

"I will," I said, my voice quavering a little as I looked down at my booted feet.

"You promise?" he said, his face almost touching mine.

"Pinky promise," I replied, this time staring straight at him.

He gave me a small smile, and leaned forward, his day-old beard brushing roughly against my chubby face, pulling me into a tight embrace as I wrap my short arms around his torso.

"I love you, Daddy," I whisper in his ear softly.

"I love you, Ash."

* * *

 _hey guys. zeph here._

 _the first few chapters are important enough, (i think), that they deserve their own, so around chapters 4ish they will start getting longer._

 _read and review at your leisure._


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

-several months later-

I lift my foot slowly out of the murky swamp. I take another step, my leaden legs calling me to stop and take a break. I can practically hear them shrieking in pain. Please stop. Please. I don't listen.

My legs stick to the heat absorbent black of my leggings. The shorter hairs of my pony tail have fallen out, and cling to the back of my neck and face as beads of sweat drips down my forehead. I glance at the map, matching the partially smudged word to the majestic building near the center of the city of Magnolia.

Finally reaching the beginning of the paved path, I look up, taking in the beautiful city. People rush purposefully from store to store, running into one and hurrying to another. I scramble to dodge them as I glance at the exploding colors of signs and posters advertising everything from Alexandria's $7.99 Lunch Menu Combo to Zachary's Magical Medicine for Men.

And then I see it. The painted block letters that I have longed to see after traveling for months that had seemed like years to my young mind. FAIRYTAIL. I creep closer, cautiously as the doors suddenly explode. My breath hitches as the sight. A gorgeous, scarlet haired woman marches by me, chattering animatedly to a ravishing blonde. Then, he comes out. The tall, dark haired man that has haunted my dreams and filled my imagination. I feel like I've known him forever from my parent's stories of his trademark smirk, his love for ice and all things cold, and how much...and how much he loved me. Out of the corner of my eye, a punch flies to his face and I stiffen from my place by the door, my hands at my mouth. He shoots an insult right back at his pink haired companion and roundhouse kicks him. I stifle a giggle as I slip in through the red and gold doors.

A chair flies by my ear and I snap my head up, glaring at the offender. I shuffle towards the door again, but not before I feel a soft hand on my shoulder. Turning around, I look at the stooping figure in front of me, as my disregard turns to admiration.

"Mirajane Strauss?" I whisper.

"That's me," she grins, her pearl white teeth shining at me as she shakes her silvery locks out of her face, giving me a view of her deep, ocean blue eyes, staring earnestly at me with a mixture of concern and affection.

"What's your name?" she asks.

"I'm Ash," I mumble at the ground, "Can I please talk to Mr. Makarov, it's super important." I let out the breath I have been holding, and a huge weight flies of my chest as I gasp for air.

She opens the plain oak door for me as I look around for the formidable Makarov that I have been told of. Instead I find a man my size, who welcomes me into his office.

"What is your name, child?" he asks after plopping himself down into his chair.

"Ash," I say simply.

"And Ash, do you perhaps have a story you would like to tell me?"

I gulp, and say, "I've been traveling from t-t-the North- my father," I take in another deep breath, trying to stay composed, "my father and m-mother sent me away to find my b-b-brother. Becausetheyweremurdered."

I finally look up at the tiny man, sitting on his stool, who stares deeply into my eyes.

"What is your brother's name, Ash?" I close my eyes, and say,

"Gray. Gray Fullbuster."

His eyes widen slightly, but he continues talking.

"And, child, do you know where these men are from?" he asks quietly, never taking his eyes off my face. I tremble in the large chair in front of his desk and whisper,

"El Infierno."

* * *

 _'sup. its zeph._

 _i'm going to keep publishing until i get to the same point as my unrevised version and then i'll start doing one chapter a day again._

 _read and review at your leisure._


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

-time skip to several days later-

I sit on a tall, cushioned chair by the bar sipping my blueberry shake. A violet-headed girl behind the counter tries to make conversation but I tighten my lips into a narrow line cheekily and turn away. I can hear the hushed whispers of the most elite members of the guild behind the wooden door, and I want nothing more than to put a glass to the wall and listen. But I don't. I fear the things they talk about. The truth.

And I know I'm being stupid as I hide reclusively in the corner, hidden by the shadows. I know they know I'm here, trying to escape reality. I know that I should try to be friends with Wendy, the blue-haired Sky Slayer who looks about my age, who I've seen featured in Sorcerer Weekly a million times, who is known to be as infamously friendly as Natsu Dragneel is infamously dense and destructive. But I don't. Instead I slurp the remnants of my milkshake and disappear into the now lamp-lit streets outside.

I run, fast, down the alleyways and the twists and turns, as fast as my legs can carry me. And then I trip and fall. I see my foot catch on a somebody's foot before my face hits the ground.

Squinting wearily, I glance at my bleeding hands and their peeling skin, and brush my pants off, before looking up at who I tripped over. I gasp.

He gives me a small smile, and holds out his hand. I take it, and he swings me up.

"Hey, I'm Gray Fullbuster."

* * *

I see the silver cross of his necklace, the one that matches the bracelet on my left hand. The one that Dad gave him. He's shirtless, so the scar from one of his many mischievous escapades underlines the navy guild mark on his chest.

"I'm Ash," I whisper, so softly he has to bend down to hear me. A pained look runs across his face, disappearing as soon as it appeared.

"Why don't you come back with me to the guild," he says.

As soon as we enter the hall, Mira runs up to me.

"Ash, Ash where were-" She looks up at the figure beside me and glances at my stoic expression. I twist my head up slightly, only to find that instead of standing stiffly behind me, Gray is walking briskly towards Master's office.

Mira takes my cold hand, and leads me towards Wendy and Carla, who sit on two of the stools by the counter.

"But Carla!" I hear Wendy's pleas.

"No it's not safe. You-" She stops as she sees me approaching.

"Carla, Wendy, this is Ash, Ash this is Carla and Wendy."

The blue haired girl give me a shy, sweet smile, and I involuntarily let the impassive mask melt from my face.

"I've heard so much about you, I say, "I've read all the Sorcerer Weekly articles."

Wendy waves me off, "It's nothing," she mumbles. We chatter excitedly, my facade of cool and cold long gone, until I hear the ominous door creaking open, and I catch Master Makarov's piercing eyes. Beckoning, he nods, and I turn away from Wendy.

* * *

My footsteps echo loudly in the desolate hallways, as I push the door open. As I walk in, I stare at the patterned ground pointedly. I look up at him through my eyelashes; his shaggy raven hair covers his eyes as he clutches his head despairingly with his cold, pale hands and when he lifts his head slightly, I see a single glistening tear, tracking down his face.

"All this time," he murmurs, shaking his head, "All this fucking time." He stands, and begins pacing around the office.

"I thought you were dead. These seven years, I've mourned, cried and grieved for my baby sister. And here you are. My little Ash." Gray stops and lets his dark gaze fall on me. A heavy weight drops from my throat to my stomach, and I hear my blood pumping wildly through my ears.

"Gramps wouldn't tell me what happened to Mom and Dad. He said it wasn't his place to say." He kneels down in front of me, and takes my thin, bony hands in his own rough ones.

"What happened, Ash? What happened to them?"

"The creeps from Infierno. They killed them." I'm not sure I should be proud of my voice when it doesn't stutter.

There is a pregnant pause, and the tension is tangible in the air. He pulls me close.

"Why didn't they ever try to find me?" Silent sobs rack my body as my salty tears soak his bare chest and I listen to his broken voice.

"I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," I whisper as he clutches me.

"Don't leave me. Don't ever leave me again."

* * *

hola. zeph aqui.

hope y'all are enjoying this :)

read and review at your leisure.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

-eleven months later-

I go about my own business everyday. Nobody bothers me and I don't get in anyone's way. People don't notice me anyways.

Every morning, I enter the bustling guild hall from the rickety back door to grab my blueberry shake from Mirajane and whisk myself through the empty, carpeted halls to the large oak doors, bordered by gold and colored glass. I pour over book after book, memorizing spells and stances, committing the amount of magic power each one uses to memory and figuring out how to expand my magic energy capacity. I spend hours of each afternoon under the shade of the trees in the forest that borders Eastern Magnolia, reciting and casting spells, over and over and over again. And each evening, I return to the stark, spare room in Gray's apartment. I avoid him. I avoid them all. The guilt of my parent's death slowly gnaws away at me. I could've done something. I could've saved them. If only I had been stronger.

But one night, Gray waits up for me. I spy him sitting on the chair in my room, gazing at the only decoration I have bothered to put up: picture of our family, whole and happy. Mom carries me, a tiny baby then, while her long hair whipping around in the wind and Gray grins cheekily from Dad's broad shoulders.

"Gray, I don't want to talk about it," I say.

"Ash, you think I haven't notices how you creep into the hall every morning, and how you escape to who-knows-where until who-knows-when and how you come home exhausted and beat up who-knows-how?"

I lean onto the doorway, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I've been trying to give you your space, but this has gone on far too long," he continues. Something inside me snaps.

"Yes, Gray," I interrupt furiously, "you would totally come out of your shell and talk about your feelings if you were in my place, huh?" He looks as if he wants to say something, but I keep going.

"Well, you know what, Gray? I basically killed Mom and Dad. I abandoned them. I could've saved them if I was stronger. I could've warned someone earlier if I hadn't been so useless. I could've gone after Infierno and avenged them if I hadn't listened to Dad and trekked across the continent for over a year to come here. But I was too damn weak!" I shout, "And I still am!" I turn on my heel, and sprint out of the house, slamming the door in my wake, and I finally let the held-back tears to spill freely over my face.

Gasping for air, I sit beneath a blooming Sakura tree, moonlight streaming through the blossoming branches. Footsteps pound behind me, and Gray is by my side again. He holds onto my wrist, squatting in front of me.

"Ash," he pants, "You're weak if you run away from your problems, when the solution is staring at you straight in the face. You're weak if you run from what's right in front of you. You can think what you want about Mom and Dad, but from what it's worth, I know no one thinks you killed them, least of all me. It's not your fault." He begins to stand up again, "I hope you'll rethink your daily routines. I'll leave some food in the kitchen for you, whenever you're ready to come back home, 'kay?" He turns to leave, but I grab his arm.

"I'm scared," I mutter, "I don't know what to do." Sitting back down, Gray pulls me into his lap.

"Well, then, we'll just have to figure it out as we go along, won't we?" He smirks.

"You'll be okay, you'll make friends, you'll go on missions, you'll move out of my apartment, you'll spend time brawling in the guild hall, and you won't get a boyfriend without my approval," he finishes, growling a little bit. I giggle and lean back on his shoulder.

Looking up at him, I blearily blink my eyes before letting out a long yawn.

I doze off in his arms as he stretches his legs and stands. He walks onto the lamp-lit road, back home, the sounds of cricket and and aroma of the Sakuras surrounding us.

* * *

I wake to the blinding rays seeping through the half turned blinds. Crawling out of bed, I drag myself to kitchen, only to find a pile of waffles drenched in strawberry syrup and a note. Breakfast: brought to you by yours truly -Gray. Laughing, I grab a glass of water, and scarf down the soggy food before leaving for the guild.

The front door doesn't look so welcoming anymore. I cautiously pull the handle and make a beeline for the bar, where my milkshake already waits.

"Hey, Ash," says the white haired barmaid from behind the counter, smiling brightly at me. I nod at her, slurping on my drink.

Wendy walks in, accompanied by Carla and several boys our age. She spies me and waves me over to her table, smiling hugely, before turning back to her companions. Gray catches my eye and nods at me approvingly as I make my way over to the booth.

As I approach, the blue-haired Sky Slayer pats the bench next to her.

* * *

"Romeo Conbolt," says the first one rather shyly, sweeping his dark brown hair out of his eyes with one hand, and nervously adjusting his orange scarf with the other. "I use elemental fire-" Before he can finish, the tallest of the three interjects snobbishly, " Ryo Dreyar, Laxus Dreyar's cousin, grandson to Makarov. I manipulate electricity." He holds out his hand for me to shake, but when he notices that I don't lift my own, he raises his hand awkwardly to scratch his blonde hair. The third boy smirks slightly at this, and my own mouth lifts into an equally snarky smile.

"And I'm Thorn. Thorn Hisakawa. I'm a Water Dragon Slayer," says a cool, collected voice. I lift my eyes to reach the calm gaze of a silver-haired boy. He pulls his hand out of his pocket, and I shake it.

* * *

 _yo. it's zeph. surprise surprise._

 _wow. im not like a huge fan of 1d but some of their songs are super duper catchy and great if i pretend its not them singing it._

 _read and review at your leisure._


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

-two hours later-

My sweat trickles down my face as I draw in another heavy breath. I wipe my forehead, and as I raise my arms to repeat the spell, I hear a crash and angry, whispered voices.

"Damnit, Romeo! You're going to get us caught!"

"Too bad," I snicker as I walk toward the sound, "You already have been." Three heads pop out from the bush, twigs and leaves ensnared in their hair.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I growl as I put my nearly perfected Erza imitation to good use.

"I could ask you the same thing, Demon Slayer," replies the blonde, enunciating the last two words. I scowl at him, and he smirks condescendingly, and as I step out of the clearing to leave, the sound of crackling electricity reaches my ears.

"Maybe tomorrow, Ryo," I say, but it's too late. The ball of lightning barely misses my head as I step to the side.

"I said, tomorrow, Ryo." His hands crackle threateningly, "And I mean it." But he lets the missile fly anyways. It hits my shoulder, and I skid backwards.

"For the love of Mavis," I grumble, straightening up. I flick a lock of hair out of my face.

"So you really wanna take me on, huh, Ryo?" I snarl, balling up my right fist, smashing it into my open palm.

"Like hell, I do," he growls, lighting up his fist again.

"You asked for it, Sparky." I unclench my hands, and holding my arms out in front of me, I screech, "Ice Devil Slayer's Sword!" A large broadsword appears in my hands, and I slash near his shoulder, causing him to stagger. He grimaces slightly.

"Lightning Make Hammer!" He roars, smashing the electric weapon onto the the smooth ground where I had been moments earlier. Ryo's muscular body crackles with light energy as he dodges a swipe of my icy blade. He lays his palm out, laying a fist in his large, callused hand.

"Lightning Make Cannon!"

"Nice try," I say teasingly, as I slide backwards on the balls of my feet and I sweep forward.

"Ice Devil Slayer's Bow of Destruction!" The arrows rain from my frozen longbow, impaling the falling projectiles, before they can strike me.

"Lightning Make-" He begins.

"Ice Devil Slayer's-" I start.

"IMPACT!" He shrieks. The ground shudders beneath me from Ryo's attack, and I stumble backwards. He smirks as I fall to the ground, and he approaches me, taking deliberate steps.

"I'm surprised you've lasted this long, Fullbuster," he shrugs his shoulder, his chest muscles rippling beneath his black guildmark.

"I can see the resemblance between you and your sorry excuse of a brother. Were your parents even mages? That probably why they died. Cause they were so ashamed of their two weak children." Ryo snickers loudly. I skitter backwards on my palms, trying to increase the ever decreasing distance between us. As the feet turn to inches, I take my chance. Grabbing his ankles, I pull myself through his legs, flipping back onto my feet, into a defensive position.

"When are you ever going to-" I reach up, and slap him in the face.

"Never talk about my family like that ever again. If you open your dumb-ass mouth again. I swear." I trail off threateningly, raising a warning hand, but Ryo only cackles.

"I wonder," he says, putting a mocking finger on his chin, "Are your parents-"

"SHUT UP!" I yell, balling up my fists, my dark hair flying out behind me. "Ice Devil Slayer's Rage!" I scream, letting the rush of magic energy pour out of my body. Time slows down as my attack hits the blonde teen squarely in the teen, his sneering face turning to a gaping look of surprise as he collapses on his back, his eyes rolling back into his head. I crumple forward onto my knees, my head spinning from the exhaustion, black spots dancing in my eyes.

* * *

I wake to the heavy weight of blankets, and exhausted feeling, and burning pair of eyes, staring daggers into my forehead.

"What the hell was that about?" My brother grumbles.

"You would've done the same thing," I say, sitting up, crossing my arms and turning away from him.

"Oh, really now?" scoffs the raven-haired mage, crossing his right leg over the knee of his left.

"Really." I say, turning back to meet his skeptical gaze. He laughs dismissevly.

"Well," I begin, "He began by calling you weak. Oh, and Mom and Dad dying because we were failures. And you can't forget how he figured that we were useless 'cause they weren't mages, which is most definitely incorrect," I can feel a dark, dangerous aura of anger beginning to surround my brother as I tick off the insults on my fingers, "And then, he started to say-" Gray stands up suddenly, knocking down his chair, his normally and formerly cool composure gone, replaced by a look of fury.

"Where is that bastard?" He growls ferociously.

"Gray," I chide softly, "I thought you said-"

"I don't care about what I just said. I want to punch that punk's face in." I giggle, despite the circumstances, and he stares at me, appalled.

"See, I already did that." His eyes grow wider and rounder. "I rearranged his face." He continues to stare blankly at me. "I beat you to the punch?" I rephrase. "I did him in?" Gray sputters.

"You, y-you?"

"What? You think I have been sitting in a shaded clearing in the middle of a forest having tea parties everyday?"

"Y-y-you?" My flabbergasted brother repeats, "You beat up Ryo Dreyar."

"I mean, yeah, he passed out before me," I push my hair out of my eyes. "You think Sparky can beat me?" I ask incredulously. "What's so amazing about me beating up Ryo?"

"Nothing," Gray stutters, as he stumbles out of the room. My narrowed eyes follow my brother out of the room. What? Is he that good?

* * *

hola hola. its zeph

anyways, i probably won't be updating as often next week unless i already have them typed up by like friday.

read and review at your leisure.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

The guild hall is filled to the brim with people. Mages lounge casually on the long, wooden tables. I walk, almost mechanically, towards the large bulletin board.

Scanning the missions, I close my eyes, and pull a random flyer off the board. The already yellowing parchment seems to wilt in my hand.

Request: Investigation of the Whereabouts of a Dark Guild: El Infierno

Requirements: Near-S-class wizard(s)

Client: Lord A.W. Castellar

Starting Location: Kanasaki City

Reward: 500,000 Jewels

I gaped. A slow, wide grin slid onto my face as I glanced at the bottom of the page.

Possible Encounter With the Guild.

"Mira!" I yell, "I'll take this one!"

"That one? Are you sure?" She called back. "Take somebody with you, okay?"

I don't answer her, but I give her the flyer as she signs me off.

"You really shouldn't go on this by yourself," the white-haired barmaid says, shaking my shoulders a bit. "Take Wendy and the boys. Otherwise, I won't let you go." Her baby blue eyes narrow and I grimace as the the mischievous faces of three teenage boys pop into my head.

"The boys, too?"

"Or else you can't go," she threatens, waving a warning finger.

I scowl, and Mira smiles triumphantly.

"Wendy, Romeo? Could you grab the other two boys and get over here?" she calls, laughing gaily at the sight of the Water Dragon Slayer and Lightning Mage in mid-punch.

"Oh, does the little itty bitty Ash Fullbuster need help on a mission?" Ryo croons as he walks toward us.

"Ryo," There was suddenly a menacing aura surrounding the usually gentle woman, "I'll tell Laxus if you do anything!"

The usually snarky blonde cowered under the shadow of the intimidating she-devil.

"If a single hair on any of their head's is harmed because of you, I don't even know what I'll do to you," Mira continued, snarling viciously.

"Meet you guys at the station in thirty?" I say, as we walk out of the guild.

They all nod the affirmative, Wendy waves at me as she walks back to Fairy Hills, Romeo grins and jogs down the street, Thorn smirks, and Ryo growls, "Don't tell me what to do."

I shove a hand into my pocket, and draw the other through my dark hair as I turn the corner and walk up the stairs to the second floor of the apartment complex. Grabbing a single, navy backpack, snatch up a few articles of clothing from a cardboard box in my closet and a few essentials from a half-open drawer in the bathroom and thrust them my bag. I lean down over my desk, my silver bracelet clinking softly against the table, gazing at the photograph.

"I'll be back soon," I say, running my fingertips over the glossy finish.

* * *

bonjour bitches. zeph aqui.

well i've got nothing interesting to say.

read and review at your leisure.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

I'm early. Eleven minutes and thirty-four seconds early to be exact. I glance at the digital lacrima that displays the next train for Kanasaki City, and I stand up abruptly, looking for the ticket booth.

As I purchase my ticket, a tall, raven-haired figure approaches me.

"Hey, Thorn," I say, turning my head to acknowledge him.

"Fullbuster," he replies nodding his head at me.

Time goes by slowly as we sit in silence, waiting for the others to arrive.

"What's the mission, anyways?" Thorn asks, shrugging his grey jacket off to reveal a tight t-shirt.

"An investigation of a dark guild."

"Which?"

"El Infierno."

He struggles to hide his surprise and barely keeps his composure.

"Those bastards."

Thorn opens his mouth to speak, but abruptly snaps his jaws together as he sees the squabbling group of teens coming closer.

* * *

The final warning announcement sounds, and we board the train, piling into an empty compartment.

As the train begins to move the normally cheerful Sky Slayer falls sideways, her face already green with nausea, her sapphire head falling onto Romeo's shoulder, covering his arm in a cascade of blue.

"Sorry," Wendy mumbles quietly.

"It's fine." The black haired boy pats her head reassuringly.

"Aren't you a healing mage?" Ryo asks, "That's pathetic."

"What did you say?" The black haired boy stands up, his fists lighting up with the infamous fart fire. Apparently, however, Ryo doesn't realize the danger.

"Oh, and you're deaf, aren't you? I said, your girlfriend is pathetic." The blonde crosses his arms over his chest, a snarky grin ruining his rugged features.

And as I get up to escape the stench and walk out the door, I hear the sound of a fist smashing a face, and I smell Romeo's Ultimate Fart Fire, Used for Distractions, Pranks, Revenge and Oh So Much More.

* * *

I look out the window, the countryside passing by: the flourishing meadows, rustic villages, evergreen forests quickly, in brief flashes. Across from me, Ryo leans against the polished wood panels, his eyelids drooping as he falls asleep.

Standing up from the plush, maroon seats, I slide the door open, brushing the cloudy glass with my finger tips. I wander through the carpeted halls of the train, weaving through rows of passengers before reaching the last car. The door glides open at the press of a button, and I feel the wind on my face as we continue to rush by the scenery. Clutching the rusting railing, I take a breath of the crisp air as it blows my hair over my shoulder, ruffling my clothes.

I don't know how long I stand outside on the rickety ledge, contemplating life, until I notice the sun is setting, the sky blending into a menagerie of colors and I feel a hand on my shoulder.

"Come on, Fullbuster," Thorn says, smirking a bit, "We're almost there."

I take one last gulp of the fresh air and one more glance at the rosy sky before I push the door open, and follow my guildmate.

* * *

zephy out.

read and review at your leisure.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

I pull the crumpled map from my back pocket, and search for the client's address. We plod along the roughly paved streets, Ryo teasing Romeo mercilessly, Wendy glaring at the pair of them and Thorn, calmly pulling them apart as we arrive in front of a large mansion, its residents protected by an intimidating, iron-wrought gate. I reach a finger out to press the buzzer, but before I can, the large gate swings apart, opening up revealing a beautiful garden.

A long meandering path, bedecked with blooming flowers points us toward the mahogany doors. As I lift my hand to knock on the door, a tall, dark haired woman opens the door, beckons us in.

"Welcome," she says in a familiar, lilting accent that I can't quite place, "I presume you are the Fairy Tail wizards?"

We all nod, and she leads us down a long hallway, the train of her long dress trailing behind her. She gestures to an elegant living room, and waves toward the velvet sofa airily.

"My name is Lady Castellar. Normally my husband would handle this, but he is...out at the moment."

"We can see that," snorts Ryo. Thorn shoots him a dangerous glare from over my shoulder.

"Then, we shall get straight to it." She pauses, closes her eyes and clasps her hands tightly in her lap.

"My late brother and his wife were taken and murdered by the dark guild, El Infierno about two years ago." Wendy gasps, holding her hands to her mouth in shock.

"Do you know why?" I press, leaning forward precariously on my seat.

"They were both powerful wizards, retired from the Rune Knights, but only to keep taking down the guilds on their own; they thought the Council was being too forgiving. But my brother and his wife knew they had it coming." She sighs quietly.

"But that is why you are here. I'd like you to investigate the whereabouts of the guild. I am highly suspicious that my brother's plan, well, didn't go as planned. He attempted to destroy them from the inside. If he was unable to eliminate the guild, you must do so."

Thorn shifts uncomfortably in his chair.

"Do you know where they might be?" He asks, running a hand through his dark blue hair.

The raven-haired woman strides across the room, to the fireplace, removes a single brick from it, to reveal a false compartment, and takes a single sheet of paper from it.

"As a matter of fact, I do."

* * *

I hear a gruff sound or surprise as Ryo misses the last foothold. On instinct, I drop my arm down, and half-pull him on the the edge of the cliff.

"Thanks."

"Whatever," I say as I brush the dirt off my hands. Yanking the crudely drawn map, I stare at the nearby landmarks.

We continue down the slightly worn path, which was partially covered by scraggly bushes and fallen leaves.

As we slink through the undergrowth, I catch sight of the entrance, camouflaged by brush and twigs, but obvious to the practiced eye.

"It smells like shit around here," whispers Thorn. I scowl darkly at at him in warning.

"Shut up." He rolls his eyes at me.

"Of course, Oh Great Slayer of Demons." Grumbling, I lift a fist threateningly at him.

"Let's camp out somewhere until nightfall," Romeo mumbles, cutting between us.

* * *

We don't chance making a fire as we sit in a circle, planning our next move against El Infierno. I pull a stack of papers from my bag, which were folded haphazardly when I had tossed them in my backpack yesterday. Reading quietly, I block out the murmured arguments of my teammates as I review the scarce knowledge of the dark guild.

El Infierno is made up of around thirty-four members on average, making it a small, yet powerful dark guild. The leadership, unlike many other such organizations is split between two leaders Murtagh and possibly his wife, Serena, who are both powerful wizards. There are two other elite members of the guild; although their identities are unknown, they both specialize in shadow manipulation magic. The rest of the guild is made up of insignificant members, whose power is in comparison to the masters and higher ups, rather weak. They previously were a light guild, but almost ten years ago, for an unknown reason, they became a dark guild and have been inactive for yet another unknown reason for nearly two years.

"-do you think, Ash?"

"What?" I ask, lifting my eyes from the sheaf of paper.

"Don't you ever pay attention? What do you think we should do?" repeated Ryo, his frustration obvious.

I pass my notes to him.

"Because their more powerful mages are reliant on shadows, I suggest that we ambush in the daytime, instead of night, like we initially planned. It'll be more difficult for them to sneak up on us, but that also makes it harder to have a surprise attack. Blowing up the building wouldn't be a bad idea, however if they escape, that leaves civilians at their mercy since we aren't too far from Kanasaki. That also leaves us nothing to investigate because it will all be reduced to rubble."

"So I get to blow stuff up right?" asks Romeo excitedly, straightening his vest as he sits up a little straighter.

"It also gives us the upper hand 'cause we'll be on the offensive instead of the defensive." Ryo scratches his head, "It could work."

"Actually," says a low voice, "We've come to you."

"Fuck."

* * *

bum bum bum. zeph here.

sorry for the cliffy, i swear i'll make up for it.

read and review at your leisure.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

We back up into a circle, facing the surrounding enemy as we survey the scene. Wendy's body begins to glow a light blue green, and she raises her arms, her sapphire pigtails floating behind her as the wind begins to pick up.

"Support Magic: Defense!"

The iridescent cloud spreads around us, the gentle river of the Sky Slayers magic flowing into me. I ball up my fist, slamming it on my open palm.

"Alright, Ice Demon Slayer's Sword of Zeroth!" The melee weapon forms in my hands as I slash down on the black-clothed mages. I whip the blade in a circle, smacking a mage in the temple, knocking him out.

"Sky Dragon Slayer's Roar!" I hear Wendy's voice in the distance, watching as the tunnel of wind hits several mages, forcing them to the ground.

"Flare: Purple Net." Romeo's balls of fire fly off his hand, immobilizing his opponents as they fall to the floor, shrieking as the dark violet flames burn them.

The sounds of the fray surround me as I deflected blow after blow. Flashes of magic, blazing debris, and the cracking of bones as Ryo threw the flailing body of an enemy mage into a tree.

"Ash! Go with Thorn." The blonde mage's arms crackling with electricity.

"We'll take these idiots. Go find those two bastards, and leave the "elite" douches to us, 'kay?"

Thorn grabs my arms, and I follows him, almost tripping over a tree stump as we locate the path.

"Hurry up, Fullbuster," the navy haired teen growls.

As we enter the hide-out, we weave through the dimly-lit passages quickly, our feet tapping quietly on the concrete floor. I'm not sure how Thorn knows his way so well around here; his hyperactive senses can't be the only thing helping him here. We sneak past the guards, and when we near a large doorway, he stops.

"Don't stop," I pant, as he slows to a walk.

"Come on, Magikarp*, hurry up." He slaps a hand over my indignant mouth.

"Shut up, will you?" Thorn grabs me by the shoulders.

"Listen. The two elite members are there. The guild masters should be behind that door," he says, pointing towards the tall doors.

"How do you know?" I mutter through his hand, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Just listen," he pleads; the desperation is clear in his eyes, "I'll explain it all. I promise, when we finish this mission, I'll tell you everything. I promise." He draws in a deep breath, straightens up and removes his hand from my mouth.

"Just please finish the elites off. Let me take the masters. I have to. Because th-"

"I'll do it," I say. I take his hand and clutch it tightly. His blue-grey eyes hungrily stare into my brown ones.

"Thank you so much."

"Don't thank me yet," I reply, "You still owe me an explanation, Seahorse." He smirks.

"But of course, Fullbuster."

* * *

zephy esta aqui.

you do not understand how much i suck at coming up with nicknames okay.

*okay, I'm sorry. magikarp was just so tempting.

read and review at your leisure.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Through the entrance, I spy a tall, haughty- looking woman. Her hair is tangled in her bright rosy locks as she lounges in repose on the wine-coloured sofa, her feet propped on the nearby coffee table. A man whose hair is the color of the night sky- so black that it has an oily, purply sheen to it, gazes out the window sipping slowly from a glass, one hand stuffed casually into the pocket of his tailored suit.

As Thorn and I enter, the woman opens her eyes lazily and the man barely bothers to twist his head to look at us.

"Oh, wonderful!" she croons, twisting a finger through a pink curl, "James, aren't you just so glad they could join us?"

"Of course." He nods, and I swear he's rolling his eyes as he takes another sip of the sparkling liquid.

The Water Dragon Slayer, however, ignores them both as he strides briskly across the room, towards the black doors, and throws them open.

Nobody moves to stop him, least of all me. In the other room, there is a pregnant pause.

But it is broken by a simpering voice, its sweetness tainted by a sickly, ominous aura.

"We've been expecting you, Thorn."

* * *

"Your enemy is right here, Pinky," I say, waving a hand in front of her face.

"Oh? My apologies. I didn't see you there."

"I'll make you see me," I snarl, "Ice Demon Slayer's Storm!" A whirlwind of frozen precipitation surrounds them, the hurricane throwing them off balance, onto the pristine, marble floor.

"You, insolent bitch," the mage growls, "Forbidden Shadows: Claw of Misery!"

In the air between us, a dark form appears, twisting and turning with a life of itself as it molds into a gnarled hand. I stand defensively, my right foot forward and slightly pivoted to the right, my arms steady in front of my body as I prepare myself for the attack. I'm too slow to put up a shield as the claw slices easily through the skin on my left shoulder.

"Shit." I hold my throbbing shoulder while to wound drips blood. Red blooded tinted an unfamiliar violet.

"Freeze," I mutter, solidifying the dark liquid.

"Ice Demon Slayer's Sword of Zeroth!" I shout as the large, double-edged weapon forms in my hand. I slash easily through the hand, moving quickly as I manage to slice through the barrier of shadows the woman had used to shield herself.

"Goddamn." I sidestep the man's attack, but sword shatters from the impact.

"Demon Slayer's Swords!" I feel the drain of magic energy as I conjure the twin katanas. Parrying the barrage of shadows, I destroy some and deflect the others toward the mages.

"Damn it. What are you doing? You're suppose to be watching my back!" I hear, as I slice deeply through the purple haired man's shoulder, causing blood to cascade down his white dress shirt. As the woman tries to block my sword, but I turn, and whip the blade down, slashing her forearm. She bites her lip in pain as she stumbles backward, already exhausted from the battle. I feel a sting as a black ball of energy hits my shoulder again, cracking the temporary band-aid of ice.

The dark liquid renews its journey down my arm and I can already feel the numbing feeling trickling through my arm. Breathe, Ash. You have to fucking breathe. Don't you want to get out of this alive? Don't you want to find out why you aren't fighting the masters instead right now? Why you sacrificed your chance to avenge your parents?

By the time I open my eyes, the two of them are clasping hands and I think I know what's coming.

I stand still in front of them, as if waiting for the blow. The air seems to thicken and time slows down; each passing second feels like an eternity as I watch the mages gather their magic power, preparing for the attack.

"Unison Raid: Shadow Blast!"

* * *

yo yo zeph here.  
lol whats thorn's secret? who even knows.

read and review at your leisure.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

I know it's a strong attack, but my body doesn't move to attempt to dodge it as the black mass of shadows hurtles toward me.

* * *

"Ice Demon Slayer's Rage!" I shriek, throwing my hands before me as the blue light of my ice appears, shooting forward as it expands into a funnel, widening as it collides with the dark attack.

* * *

My hazy vision clears slightly and I can see the gaping surprise on the enemy mages' faces as they fall backwards onto the ground and as I turn toward the entrance the same expression is written all over the faces of three of my teammates, before I keel over, my knees cradling my head and my vision turns to black.

* * *

Ryo shakes me as Wendy leans over me, her glowing hands hovering over my chest.

"Where's Thorn?"

I lift a shaky arm, pointing towards the door.

"He hasn't come out yet."

He starts to get off his knees, but I pull him back down.

"I'm going," I say as I struggle to push myself up on my forearms.

"No, you aren't," he says, shoving me gently back into a lying position.

"Yes, I goddamn am. Ryo, you can't stop me."

"Actually, I can," he replies cocking a skeptical eyebrow, lifting an arm and punching me in the gut.

"Fuck you," I grunt.

* * *

I feel arms cradling me protectively as I blearily blink my eyes. Looking up, I see Ryo's face, his forehead wrinkled in confusion.

"It's not adding up..."

"Put me down, Ryo," I croak, my voice cracking from exhaustion.

"No," comes his curt reply. I huff, shifting slightly as I try to wriggle from his ever-tightening grasp.

"Stop, goddammit, Ash."

"I have to go help Thorn."

"Wendy and Romeo are with him."

"So?"

"Are you saying you don't think your teammates are strong enough to beat of those bastards? You took on two of the strongest mages in the guild. And beat them. And deflected a Unison Raid, which takes an extremely powerful wizard to do. Have some faith in them, okay, Ash?"

"You don't understand," I say, looking up at Ryo, "He said something before we attacked them. He said he had to fight them but he wouldn't tell me why."

"Then doesn't that only further enforce the fact that you, of all people, can't go back? He's strong enough and he has Wendy and Romeo to back him up. Right, Ash?" He asks, shaking me a bit. He tilts my face towards his. "Right?" His hazel eyes meet my dark brown ones.

"Right," I sigh, rather shakily.

* * *

Sounds of explosions sound from Infierno's base. Flames appears in the sky and a shower of burning debris rains down on us.

"Damn, Romeo," grumbles the Lightning mage, "You never know when to stop do you?" I chuckle, but my shoulder throbs in pain at the movement.

"This is why I should've gone," I say as we watch a cascade of water puts out the fire. In the distance, we see a trio of figures, charred and soaked running towards us and I pull a communication lacrima from my pocket.

"Captain Lahar? This is an anonymous tip-off. El Infierno has been eliminated. The hide-out is in the northern mountains of Kanasaki City." The static crackles, and I hear voices arguing.

"What? Wait-" I hang up, ignoring the sounds of protest on the other end of the line, as Ryo grabs my arm and begins to run,

"Hey, you guys, wait up!" Romeo shouts.

* * *

"-so anyways, here's your reward and a bonus for finishing the job so quickly," Lady Castellar says as she hands us each a stack of bills.

"Please contact me should you come upon additional information about the guild."

"Of course," I reply as we pass through the opening, iron gates.

* * *

hey yo. zeph here.

sorry for the super short chapter

read and review at your leisure.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

The streets are filled with bustling people when we finally arrive in Magnolia again. As we thread nimbly through the crowd, avoiding tantrum-throwing children and frustrated mothers, the guild hall comes into view, the bright red, curved, pagoda- styled roof, the gold block letters, the loud noise that flowed out of the doors each time they were opened labeled the rowdy place and its inhabitants as my home.

"WE'RE BACK!" Romeo shouts as we throw the doors open. But before I can step into the hall, a body slams into me, yanking me back through the entrance as I hear of yell of protest.

"Hey! Ice-Prick! Get back here!"

"We need to talk," my brother growls as he pulls me into an alleyway.

"About what?" I ask, straightening my disheveled tank top and leaning down to re-tie my bootlaces.

"About you," he replies while I lazily cross my arms, and lean against the wall, cocking my head to the side innocently and lifting one eyebrow skeptically.

"Ash," Gray begins, his voice low, husky and pleading, "I really care about you, and now that you're getting older, you need to watch out for, well, b-boys," my usually cool brother stutters as I stifle a giggle and disguise it as a cough. "They will hurt you, and break you when you least expect it. I know from, well, e-experience. I damn near b-broke Juvia's heart. So keep your distance, okay?"

"Good grief, Gray," I sigh, throwing my hands up in defeat, "And here I thought you were going to flip a shit about the mi-nevermind."

"About the-?" He presses.

"Nothing," I mumble, my hands fidgeting behind my back.

"It's obviously not nothing," Gray says, his eyes narrowing as he steps closer.

"You don't need to know," I grumble under my breath, trying to sidestep him, but he grabs my wrist before I can escape.

"About the mission?" He asks softly, his cold fingers lifting my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. I nod and try to avoid his intense gaze.

"At first," he starts, continuing his unwavering eye contact, "I was angry, but I got over it. Figured you probably felt worse than I did. Probably felt like you had to redeem yourself. Avenge Mom and Dad, because of everything."

"I had planned on that, when I first took the mission," I begin, slowly, "But stuff happened. I intended for them to feel some of my pain, but my teammate, you know, Thorn? He just seemed so desperate to. It looked like it was his life's calling or something to take down those guild leaders, you know? I'm glad I let him though. He looked so, so determined. I'm sure he had a good reason for it."

"But why?"

"I will beat than answer out of him if I have to."

* * *

We make our way through the partially abandoned streets as the sun slowly sets beneath the horizon. The colors streak across the sky, blending perfectly while the cotton candy clouds are dyed faint shades of pink by the vibrant stripes. Children continue playing, their laughter and delighted screams floating through the air until their exhausted mothers call them in for dinner. The sweet aroma of flowers scents the gentle wind as it wrinkles Gray's surprisingly-still-on shirt and ruffles my hair. As the sky turns to an inky purple, the moon rises, shining radiantly above us. The stars twinkle brightly and the street lamps flicker on, glowing a comfortable, warm shade of yellow.

* * *

The guild is still loud by the time we reach the propped-open doors, Cana sitting at the bar, drinking what seems to be her twelfth barrel of the night, Natsu trying to provoke Laxus into a fight as the seemingly emotionless blonde sits stoically on the second floor, pointedly turned away from the Fire Dragon Slayer and still observing the chaotic scene below him, while Erza sits in a corner, savoring every bit of her strawberry cake until it is rudely burned to a crisp by the fire mage's flames, as Wendy attempts to pacify my three other arguing teammates.

My brother immediately leaps into the brawl, but I linger in the doorway, watching my friends, my family, my nakama as they violently release their pent-up energy before the Mira closes the guild hall for the evening.

* * *

yay for sunset fluff.

read and review at your leisure.

zephy out.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Just the dancing of the rays of sunlight on the plain walls of my room is enough to wake me up. I roll out of bed, squinting at the blinding light before turning to my clock. 6:53? Why is it so bright? Shrugging, I pull on a tank top and a pair of leggings, and walk to the bathroom, pulling my hair into its ponytail. As I slip into my shoes, I decide to take the long way to the guild, walking around the park, with its blossoming Sakuras, and skirting the forest, inhaling the crisp air, absorbing the gentle waves of light as they flit across my slightly upturned face. By the time I enter the hall, Mira is the only one there, wiping down the bar counter before the rush of mages arrive.

"You're early," she remarks, as she finishes making my blueberry shake.

"Mhm," I reply, sipping my drink through the straw, "I couldn't fall back asleep, so I just came here." Getting up from the bar stool, I walk towards my usual table and sit, facing the door, while the woman returns to her work.

The door is thrown open as an out-of-breath navy-haired teen runs through the door.

"Your usual?" Mira asks, as the sweating Dragon Slayer stoops over, his hands on his knees.

"Yah, thanks, Mira," he gasps between breaths, slowly making his way to our table.

"Hey," he says, sitting down across from me, "Fancy seeing you here." Nodding, I slurp the last drops of my shake noisily, before pushing the cup aside.

"Do you always come this early?" I inquire, curiously, sitting primly in front of him, my hands clasped in front of me.

"A lot of the time," he responds, taking his tray from Mira as she walks by, winking at us before she returns to the bar.

"Miiiiiira," we groan, scowling angrily at her retreating back.

"So about, the mission," I begin lifting an eyebrow uncertainly. He looks down, picking at his food, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Hear me out though, okay? You'll probably be angry, but please just, just listen." Thorn lifts his hand, scratching his neck nervously.

"Since the day everyone found out what happened to your parents, so I'd say, a week after you arrived? I've had a theory. A theory, that contains my own parents. I suspected that my parents, my parents killed your parents." I stare phlegmatically at him, my arms, no longer folded neatly on the table, but lax, at my sides.

"My parents, were the guild masters of El Infierno. They were loving parents, they cared so much about me. El Infierno wasn't bad at first, but stuff began to happen, in fact, the guild wasn't always named Infierno, it was Flaming Heavens. When they became evil, the Magic Council pronounced the guild as a dark guild. I didn't realize that until I was about five or six, when I ran away. They wanted to use me for my magic power. They didn't know what kind of magic it was, but they knew they could use it for their personal gain. So I ran as far away as I could, which wasn't very far, seeing that at the time, the main hide-out of El Infierno, was located on a secluded island." His voice is quiet, smooth, almost comforting, and yet apologetic. I can hear how ashamed he is.

"My parents, they almost found me, but my adoptive mother, my dragon, Hydralga, noticed me, a little boy creeping through the shallows, hidden by the boulders that bordered the shoreline, and she took me in. She taught me magic for the next three or four years, until one day she disappeared. I stayed in that cave waiting for her for so long, but she never came back. It wasn't too far from the mainland, so I swam into shore, arriving at Hargeon port. I stole food from the night markets for about a week, before I found a merchant willing to take me to Magnolia. I had heard so much about Fairy Tail. It just seemed like, like, my niche." He paused, seemingly unable to go on.

"Everything was going great, until that day, and it got even worse when you pulled out that mission." His hand rolls into a fist and pounds the table, as he finally glances up, his dark eyes, boring into mine.

"I'm sorry," he says, a sense of finality, a tone of anguish, and a feeling of relief in his voice.

I feel my heart hammering wildly, my breathing getting faster and ragges, as I struggle to control my fluctuating emotions, which battle unrelentingly within me. The confusion wins out as I slam my palms on the wooden table and run out, barely catching the Dragon Slayer's torn face and Mira's perplexed expression.

* * *

The wind whips loose tendrils of hair into my face, stinging my eyes, blurring my vision. I force the trickling tears to stop as I meander through the outskirts of town, making sure my scent it untrackable, when I find myself in the small training clearing in the East Forest. Light filters through foliage as I tuck myself into a ball, nestled underneath a particularly large tree. Thorn's story races through my mind my certainly reigns triumphantly over the rest over the rest of my baffled emotions. Why did they do it? What had my parents done so terribly wrong to deserve this? My hyperactive imagination produces theory after theory, conspiracy after conspiracy, but none of them qualify as logical or realistic. It's not his fault though. I can't blame anything on that scared five year old boy in him. I picture his face, distressed and anxious, as he had look up at me, what seemed like seconds earlier. It can't be his fault. It just can't. He did what he could.

"Blaming him," I whisper quietly, "would be like blaming myself for Mom and Dad. I can't let him do that." I shake my head furiously, and the hazy fog of emotions begins to clear, but I stay curled up at the base of the tree, content with the comforting breeze and the balmy touch of sunlight.

* * *

A hand shakes my shoulder gently, and I open my eyes, the shade of the trees throwing a shadow across him.

"Ash, c'mon. You've been out here for hours." The navy haired boy looks down at me, a small, tentative smile forming on his face. I take his hand and he pulls me up, his serious eyes never leaving mine, practically begging me to say something.

"It's okay," I say, wrapping him into a warm hug. At first, he stands stiffly, but he relaxes, and embraces me tightly.

"Thank you," he mutters, his cool breath causing chills to roll down my spine

* * *

We stand there, beneath the dappled light, gentle gusts of air ruffling our hair, holding each other. I let him go.

"Race you back," I call, as I run through the trees. He laughs, and I hear his feet pounding after me.

"Not fair, Fullbuster!

My feet sweep quickly over the grass as we near the guild. Thorn pants heavily behind me. I can see my gloating smile as I reach for the door handle, but a foot slips beneath me and I fall to the ground. Groggily, I lift my head to see the victorious smirk of the Dragon Slayer.

"Damnit, Thorn," I groan, blowing locks of hair out of my face pathetically.

"Help me up at least," I say, stretching my hand up towards him. The gullible boy grabs it as I swing my other hand forward, punching him swiftly in the gut

"What was that for?" he cries indignantly, holding his abdomen.

"Well, we're even now," I remark lightly, dusting my hands off on my skinny jeans.

He slaps my arm playfully. For a moment we stand in front of the guild, staring at each other. Hadn't we just met a few months ago? I feel like I've known you forever.

"C'mon, whatcha waiting for? Aren't you hungry?" He smiles genuinely now, his mouth forming an easy grin, instead of his signature smirk.

I hold the door open, and bow slightly.

"Ladies first," I reply snarkily, waving him inside.

"Watch yourself, Fullbuster," he snickers as he strolls into the hall, shoving his fists carelessly into his pockets.

* * *

I purposefully sit in a dark corner of the guild, avoiding the ongoing fight as I savor the last few bites of my cake. Standing, I grab my empty plate and fork, and walk into the open, suddenly aware of a fist flying towards my face. I move the fragile piece of china to block my face, although I know full well that I can dodge the punch. Inevitably it falls to the ground, shattered.

"Mira! Thorn smashed one of your plates!"

A frantic expression appears on his face as he stutters.

"I s-swear, Mira, it was an a-accident. I didn't mean to."

The white-haired barmaid looks up from her copy of Sorcerer Weekly, her relaxed demeanor gone replaced by a dark, demonic aura.

"Thorn Hisakawa! For Mavis's sake, you've caused more trouble than you're worth!" Her screams fade into the background as I lean down to sweep up the sharp pieces, throwing them into the trash as I leave for the night, giggle as I listen to Thorn's desperate, apologetic voice and the guild's laughter.

* * *

so whaddya y'all think. badumtsss- thorn's parents what?

#shesrealizing #younglove

read and review at your leisure.

zephy out.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Days, months, daily-brawls, high-paying missions, and two years fly by.

Romeo and Wendy finally get together when he gets the guts to ask the Sky Sorceress out. Like honestly. Finally. It was definitely the peer pressure.

Ryo met Chelia at the Grand Magic Games last year, and though he swears he isn't absolutely infatuated by her, he is undeniably, absolutely in love with the hyper God Slayer from Lamia Scale.

Gray thinks I've taken his advice, but in reality, I just haven't found anyone who's worth the trouble, inconvenience, and heartbreak of a relationship.

Everyone insists that he's standing right in front of me and constantly say that I'm about as dense as Gray, but they're oh-so-most-definitely-wrong. Please, don't compare me to that over-protective, hypocritical, irritating chunk of ice.

The team- me, Wendy, Romeo, Thorn, and Ryo- go on missions all the time. At this point, it's mostly to prepare for the S-class exams, 'cause we never fall behind on rent( Honestly, it's just cause most of us (freakin' Romeo takes after that stupid pyro…) have enough self control to not destroy stuff). But then again, we don't care all that much about the rewards anymore because we're just into it to be together. It's the joy of working together like a well-oiled machine, the casual, teasing banter and conversation, the acute understanding of one another, the excitement and adrenaline of the fight, the feeling of success when you beat up the bad guy who thinks he's ever-so-much-stronger than us and thinks we're the ones who are going to be six feet under, find some long-lost family heirloom, guide a filthy-rich family through a forest full of bandits.

We love each other-platonically. 'Course, Ryo's still a arrogant bastard, Thorn thinks he can sass his way through absolutely anything (only I can do that actually), Wendy's still the sweet, powerful mage she's always been and Romeo's always going to want to be Natsu Dragneel. We haven't changed.

Not one bit.

Okay, okay. Sure, Wendy's filled out quite a bit (much to her delight), Ryo's, like six foot four and still going, Thorn's got a real smile on his face more often now, Romeo's finally hit puberty. But, honestly, I think it's safe to say I've changed the least. I mean, I've gotten more powerful, expanded my magic reserves, opened up to a few more people. But ever since that mission, I've been missing something. I'm not complete. I'm missing something inside me. Of course, I'm still searching for clues and reasons, anything I can get my fingers on about my parents. Thorn's parents. Everything. But there's something inside me that I can't find.

I going to find it. Someday soon.

* * *

lol i don't even understand how i came up with ryo and chelia. and i'm like a huge rowen fan- sorry to all you guys who believe they're better off as friends.

oh man, ash has no idea whats coming her way.

#foreshadowing #amiright

read and review at your leisure.

zephy out.


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"So are you sure we aren't just here to visit _Chelia_ , Ryo?" I smirk at his reddening face as he struggles to keep calm.

"Yeah, we're just here to talk to the client, and then we're off," he replies gruffly, his eyes are downcast and he fidgets with the hem of his shirt as we walk through the city streets.

"Mmmm…" I nod knowingly, and I glance around at my teammates, walking behind us, and I snicker at Thorn's blushing face as he cautiously looks away from Romeo and Wendy who are, well, to put it lightly, not paying attention to any of their surrounding.

"Hey Chelia!" I call, waving widely. The blonde mage jolts forward suddenly, and whips his head around excitedly, ruffling his hair, making his golden locks spike in unnatural directions (just the way that _Chelia_ likes it).

"Gotcha." I wink saucily at him, and blow him a kiss.

"Damn you," Ryo snarls, his face still a pale shade of pink.

I knock on the door of the city hall smartly, the sharp sound resounding into the dimly lit hallway leading up to it.

The window above the door opens, and I see the top of a balding head.

"State your name and reason for visit."

"Fairy Tail wizards, acceptance of job request."

The door creaks open and a scrawny, mousy-looking man, his eyes strangely unexpressive, opens the door.

"I'll take you to see the mayor." He chatters animatedly the whole way, but only one thing stands out to me.

"Originally, we asked the mages from Lamia Scale to take the job, but they weren't able to complete it, and Jura was out, so he couldn't take it. Then we sent requests everywhere."

 _What? Not even Lyon and Chelia could take it?_

* * *

The mayor is a tall, handsome man. His blonde hair, ever-so-slightly graying, with his square jawbones and his wide shoulders cutting an intimidating figure. His piercing green eyes flash over to us as we enter.

"Welcome, welcome, welcome." His voice is deep and thrilling.

"I'm so glad you could come. It's a rather urgent matter, actually." He waves us over to the long sofa in front of his desk before folding his hands over the pile of papers scattered over his desk.

"Most of the mages in the guild in this city are either incompetent or on other jobs right now," he continues, twirling an elegant fountain pen between his index and middle finger.

"We require your help to defeat a group of large monsters who have been terrorizing, killing or kidnapping the townspeople and destroying many of the buildings. We fear that if this goes on, our town will be wiped out."

 _Won't you please just cut the dramatics. Like puh-leeze._

"Can you tell us the information that you have on these creatures?" Thorn asks politely, leaning forward attentively.

"Of course," the mayor replies smoothly, removing a few papers from the messy stack on his desk and handing them to the Dragon Slayer, who skims them quickly and passes them towards me.

 _Large monsters have been terrorizing our town have, on several occasions resembled reptiles, bears and other creatures of the like. They seems to be targeting the citizens, however, they also destroy buildings, whether on purpose or accident, we do not know. There has been no pattern within their attacks, although they usually strike at night time, right before the sun rises. We are not aware of their motives. Current count of attacks: (6) Casualties: (3 killed) (9 missing) Buildings Destroyed: ⅕ of the west side of town_ , _¼ of the north west area_

"So, reptilian monsters, with unknown reasons for the attacks, only known patterns are that they attack at night?" I confirm, looking up at him from the papers.

The mayor nods assertively.

"We will also provide anything that you may need or desire while you complete this mission. You only need to ask. The inn, east of the city hall, has your reservations."

"Thank you, Mr.-" I look quizzically at him.

"Mr. Zhuravlev. You may call me Mr. Z."

"Mr. Z." I try out the name, carefully, almost hesitantly.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Z," I say, standing up from the couch, "I will contact you if we discover anything new."

We show ourselves out, and follow the mayor's directions to the inn, which is a rather quaint, quiet place, a few blocks away from the bustling center of the city.

* * *

The sun has already begun to set by the time we climb the three flights of stairs and reach our rooms.

Wendy throws her bag down on the bed and flops over tiredly on the bed.

"I'm so exhausted." Her voice is muffled by the sheets.

"And hungry," she says.

"Oh, are you thirsty, too?"

"Yeah."

"Betcha aren't just thirsty for water," I giggle. She furrows her brows, perplexed, at the innuendo as she sits up.

"Aaaash." Her cheeks redden adorably as she tries to cover the blush with her hands.

There is a knock at the connecting door between our rooms.

"Are you decent?" the low, baritone voice of Romeo calls.

"Twenty jewels you would still open the door if they weren't," Ryo snickers softly.

"Well, there's not much to look at between the two of us," I holler back.

"Come on in." Wendy replies, her face still a pale shade of pink.

The flimsy door flies open. Romeo jumps onto Wendy's bed, throwing his arm around her, Ryo pulls up a chair from the desk, and Thorn sits on the nearby window-seat.

"Nice view." He comments, craning his neck slightly to see the further. His eyes narrow a bit, as he stares, but he turns back around.

"So, what's the plan?" Ryo asks, clapping his hands together, and crossing right leg over his left knee.

"We could go investigate in a few hours. Maybe get some rest, a shower and dinner first. And then just go from there like we usually do." I let myself fall onto the mountain of pillows, sighing loudly.

"Not too shabby, Fullbuster." Thorn smirks from his seat.

"Like you contributed in any way at all."

"We'll see about that."

"Mmmph." I snuggle deeper into the warmth and comfort.

* * *

"Dibs on the shower!" Ryo crows triumphantly.

"Hey!" the flame mage screeches indignantly, "I was totally here first."

"I'm already in, so scram."

I stand up and shut the door, the argument continues, muted by the wood.

"Can I use the bathroom first?" asks the blue-haired girl.

"Go for it." I lie back into the pillows, watching as Thorn turns back to the scene below the window.

"What's going on down there?" The Slayer ignores me.

"Did you notice anything weird while we were at the hall?" he demands, twisting to look back at me.

"Actually, yes." I crawl out of the bed, and sit next to him. "The butler, what he said earlier worried me a bit. Chelia and Lyon can't handle it? They're pretty powerful together if they put themselves to it."

Thorn nods.

"Not all the Lamia Scale wizards could've been on other quests. It's too convenient."

"What'd you see earlier?"

"The mayor, talking to the butler dude. I couldn't have opened the window without them noticing, though."

"Weird."

* * *

The shower turns off.

"Ash, do you want it?"

"I'm good actually. I'll take one later." I pause, tapping my chin contemplatively. "I'm going down to eat. Make sure if you guys decide to come, you stay together."

"'Kay."

"Want to come with?" I ask Thorn.

"Sure."

* * *

and the plot thickens. some trippy ass shit if you ask me. + fluff and innuendos.

read and review at your leisure.

zephy out.


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"Are you sure you aren't going to regret eating that much when we're running through an unknown area trying to tail a bunch of monsters?" I ask Thorn as he loudly scarfs down another helping of pasta.

"Ahmmygungtobvefinuh."

"Whatever." I roll my eyes, and turn back to my clam chowder, sprinkling on a few more oysters crackers.

We decided against eating in the inn, after seeing the suspicious interactions between the innkeeper and mayor, and instead, order at a diner across the street. I gaze out of the window, watching the passing crowds of people as they set up for their nightly market, despite the impending danger of being attacked. Lamp lights begin to flicker on, and I hear the loud, repetitive advertising of the vendors, the delighted squeals of children, the light-hearted haggling of consumers. A sharp voice calls me back to reality.

"Ash. Ash. Ash."

"What?" I look at my teammate, irritated.

"The rest. They don't know about the mayor."

"Shit. And even if Wendy knows we're over here, there's no way she can get both of those retards over here." I slap my forehead, drop a pile of Jewels on the table, and stand up hurriedly.

"I paid, come on, we have to get back." We run quickly out of the building. _Shit. Shit. Shit. I hope they haven't gone out. And knowing those two...fuck._

"I don't smell them down here, so they've gotta be up stairs."

I take the stairs two at a time, and rush quickly through the long hallway, Thorn hot on my heels. He pulls his key out of his pocket, unlocking the door hurriedly as I stomp my feet impatiently on the fleur-de-lis carpet.

The second his hand turns the knob, I know something is wrong. I shove it open, and I hear Thorn's voice behind me.

"Shit." _We're too late._

Ryo lies face down on the couch, his body slung carelessly over the armrest. Romeo and Wendy are nowhere to be found. Thorn reaches the Lightning mage first.

"Damnit, Ryo, wake up." He sits his limp body upright, shaking him roughly.

"Come on, come on, come on," Thorn mutters under his breath frustratedly.

He opens his eyes blearily, and lifts his hand shakily to his forehead, pushing his blonde spikes backwards.

"What the fuck?"

"The hell happened, Sparky?" I ask, bending down in front of the sofa. He blinks, once twice, shaking his head, confused.

"It was definitely in the food." He nods affirmatively. "They put something in the food. They wouldn't have taken Romeo, but that dumbass put up a fight. They needed Wendy for something."

"Who?" Thorn growls.

"They were wearing ski masks and shit, but one of them was that mayor idiot. I could smell his nasty-ass cologne. He probably bathed in it, the fucker." Ryo chuckles deliriously.

"You can still crack shitty jokes at a time like this?" I murmur.

"Damn straight, Ice-Prick Junior."

"The hell, Ryo?"

"Let's leave this hell hole in a few hours. We'll rest up, but we're going to have to take shifts. Pack up all your shit first though. I'll take watch first." The navy-haired boy stands up and throws articles of abandoned clothing into bags and I cross the room toward the connecting door.

* * *

It's two a.m by the time we head out. Ryo's practically good as new, his drugged state long forgotten as we sneak out the window, avoiding the lobby and the suspicious innkeeper and climbing down the nearby tree.

"Their scent goes this way." The Dragon Slayer closes his eyes, inhaling the air deeply and points east.

"Well, at least he didn't completely lie to us," I respond. Creeping through the sleeping city and the surrounding forest, we are completely dependent upon Thorn's magnified senses.

The fog gets heavier as we troop through the forest. The dark branches seem alive, grabbing, snatching at my arms as I skirt by them, the bark of the trees carved into leering face. As we reach the bottom of the hill, I hear a strangled, feminine scream. _Wendy._

Sprinting up the hill, we don't look back once, our heavy pants are the only audible noises. But as we near the top, from the direction of town, there is a loud roar. _Monsters. Damnit. Now?_ Thorn turns back, to look at me and Ryo, a torn look etched onto his face, his calm composure nearly shattered. I can't speak.

"We'll go back. You keep on going, you'll be fine. Don't let this shit get to you. As soon as we destroy those things down there," Ryo gestures at the lights, "We'll come back up here and find you."

Thorn nods gratefully, and continues running.

"Whatcha waiting for, Frosty?" The Lightning mage turns around and jogs back down the hill, not looking back to see if I follow.

* * *

We finally make it down to town. Civilians screaming left and right, panicking fathers and mothers clutching their children close. A looming shadow approaches the nearby buildings, grabbing the tiled roofs and knocking over the market. Its foot makes contact with a string of candle-lit lanterns, and it falls to the ground, lighting the apartment complex on fire. I look over at Ryo.

"Should I freeze that shit?"

"Better ice than fire," he replies, not looking back at me.

"Freeze," I mutter, pointing at the billowing flames, which turn to rough-edged chunks of ice, erupting out of the ground. People glance in my direction curiously, but I ignore them.

"Ryo," I murmur, only loud enough so that he can hear, "Watch out for the mayor, he's definitely bad, I'm pretty sure he's behind all this, the innkeeper and that weird-ass butler dude are in on all of this shit, too."

He grunts.

"We were going to tell you guys, cause Thorn and I discussed this over dinner, but, uh, stuff happened."

"Figures."

"I have a hunch," I continue.

"Please enlighten me," he responds, crossing his arms sourly, surveying and scrutinizing the fray surrounding us, and watching as the beast tears apart the town.

"They're illusions."

He grunts again.

"The monsters, or like, everyone?"

"Who knows?" I shrug helplessly.

Ryo cracks his knuckles, glaring back at the glowing ruby eyes of the monster.

"Let's get down to business."

* * *

is she onto something or nah? ;) thats for me to know and y'all to find out later

read and review at your leisure

zephy out.


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"Is that all ya' got, you overgrown lizard?" I shout, balling up my fist into my open palm again. I can feel the drain on my magic power now. We've barely been able to make a dent into the scaly hide of the monstrous reptilian. But then again, I haven't been able to hit any of its weak spots, and Ryo hasn't had better luck either. You gotta aim for eyes. Come on.

"Go for the eyes!" Ryo's voice floats above the noise of the fight.

"Whatever you say, Sparky!" I scowl in his direction, although I know he can't see it.

"I can practically see your eyes rolling."

I scoff.

I've got a crazy, suicidal plan, but whatevs', right? I've got nothing to lose. You know, besides my life, nothing too valuable. I sprint forward and although I hear Ryo's protests loud and clear, I ignore them. I'm aiming for the eyes right?

Scaling the monster's nearly vertical leg, I jump towards its forearm, grabbing its scales for a stable grip. I balance on the muscular arm. It hasn't noticed me. Clambering onto the shoulder, I wince at the loud roar as Ryo finally manages to land a solid hit on the beast. It stumbles, I stumble and nearly fall two stories, nearly making an Ash-Fullbuster sized dent in the ground. Damnit. It's noticed me. I manage to cling onto the side of its jawbone, and I swing myself into its peripheral vision, perched on its muzzle.

"Real shit is goin' down," I mutter.

"Ice Demon Slayer's Swords!" The twin katanas appear in my ready hands. I approach the glowing, elliptical rubies.

"Right about-now," I continue in a scathing, dangerous tone. I whirl the swords in my hands, and stab one into each eye. The reptile staggers, and as it opens its mouth the roar again, I see a flash of light and I hear a yell.

"Lightning Make Excalibur!" The monster's body convulses and shudders, and I leap to the ground as it nears a safer height, landing on my feet. The carcass, disappears in a silver shimmer. Called it. I shrug at Ryo's confused face.

"What the fuck was that, Snowflake?"

"Me doing something insanely stupid that somehow had a positive outcome."

"Duh."

"You needed me to tell you that?"

"Just checking."

I shove his shoulder roughly and he feigns a hurt face, sobbing loudly.

"Whatever, let's get going, Sparky."

* * *

By some supernatural force, we reach the top of the hill quickly.

A gloomy, castle-like building looms before us. The doors are wide up, and unconscious mages lie in its wake. Tch. Thorn. I shake my head, smiling to myself as I observe the mangled bodies.

"Which way?" Ryo asks, glancing around.

"As you can see," I point to the trail of corpses, "Thorn went that way."

He laughs, despite the situation, and we make a right, charging through the now-abandoned hallways.

* * *

The hallway ends in a bright light. The light at the end of the tunnel. We've found them.

"Water Dragon Slayer's Roar!" We race towards the familiar shout.

* * *

The sight is disheartening by the time we get there. Wendy's limp body, curled in the fetal position on the cold, marble floor. Romeo struggling against the chains that lock him to the wall. A tall man advances toward Thorn, who breathes heavily from his position on the ground, and slowly, a malicious grin spreading across the man's face. He looks up toward us, his green eyes rather familiar. The mayor douche.

"So glad you've come to join the partay."

"Don't you mean party?" I cock an eyebrow at him, putting a hand on my hip, and most of my weight on my right leg. Ryo sniggers, not bothering to hide it as he crosses his arms over his chest.

He scowls darkly.

"Partay."

"If you insist." Ryo snickers again.

"Shall we make it more entertaining?" I ask, the sarcasm laid on thick.

"Be my guest." The man makes a small, mocking bow, his unnervingly bright eyes never leaving my face.

"Ice Demon Slayer's Storm!" A whirlwind appears at his feet, swirling ever higher, but he continues to smile. He shimmers slightly. An illusion. Like Gray's decoys, huh?

"Over here!" He waves cheekily, and Ryo snarls. I see Thorn pick his exhausted body off the ground, groaning quietly as he clutches his abdomen.

I look back over at Ryo, successfully keeping the illusionist occupied. Probably for the next minute or two, but good enough to hatch another insane plan.

I throw Thorn's arm over my shoulder and bring him towards Romeo. Laying my hands on the chains that bind him, I whisper quietly, "Freeze," which cracks the iron.

"Thanks."

"So I've got a plan. I think."

"How reassuring," the Fire mage replies, rolling his eyes sarcastically, "But please continue," he says, seeing my seething face.

"I'll make some ice, you melt it, but just enough so that it becomes water. Thorn's the only one really suited to fight this idiot," I jerk my thumb back at him. Time is ticking. "Because he can sniff out which one's the actual douche and which one's the illusion." The dark-haired teen nods.

I absorb the magic, letting it flow through my veins, towards the tips of my fingers. The ice forms slowly, jagged chunks seem to protrude from my hands.

"Ready, guys?" Thorn groans, and Romeo concentrates on his fire. Well, here goes nothing. I hold the blue ice close to the Dragon Slayer's mouth, and I nod at Romeo, who brings his flaming hands nearer. The drips slowly, at first, evolving into a stream of water, flowing easily into the waiting mouth.

As the size of the block of ice decreases, the Thorn's revival is obvious. He slides into a kneeling position, his mouth still hungrily drinking the liquid. When the last drop is gone, he stands, rather unsteady at first.

"Thanks," he mutters, wiping his mouth with his wrist.

* * *

"DAMNIT. LIGHTNING MAKE HAMMER!" There is a flash of lightning and Ryo brings the weapon down onto the green-eyed mayor's head. And misses. The blonde falls back, sweat pouring down his face as he is pushed backward, on all fours, by the backlash of his attack.

"Ready, Ash?"

"Whenever you are, Seaweed Brain*."

* * *

*okay, yah completely unoriginal.

hope you guys are enjoying this so far.

read and review at your leisure.

zephy out.


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

I'm already tired from the fight with the three-ton reptilian. The sweat slips off me like rain, my normally cool body heat, skyrocketing. Thorn and Ryo don't look much better off. Actually, they look much worse.

The green-eyes mage swings his piercing eyes onto me, and I plunge into another world.

It's dark.

All dark.

Pitch black.

I can't see.

Figures appear, and walk towards me.

Mom. Dad. Her dark, chestnut hair, swinging lightly in her ponytail, his spiky, raven locks. Her deep, ocean blue eyes, his brown, flecked with black. I reach out to them, to embrace them, to hug them, to say "I'm sorry". But as soon as they make eyes contact with me they turn away, the shame, the sadness clear in their gaze.

 _It's my fault isn't it?_

I want to break down. I want to cry. I want to say sorry. But I can't move my frozen body as I hear the evil cackle of the mayor ringing through my head.

My brother strolls toward me, his disdain clear as he looks me dead in the eye; his message is clear.

 _It's your fault._

The guild. My friends. My nakama, walk up behind him.

"Why'd you ever come?"

"You're a monster. Killing your own parents?"

"Get out. Never come back."

But voice float above the rest. Four beautiful voices, like the song of a nightingale on a sweet summer night, as day turns to dusk.

"It's not your fault."

"Snap out of it, Frosty."

"Come on, Ash, we need you."

"Fullbuster, get your shit together. Now would be a good time."

My eyes flicker. I clutch my forehead, my world spinning. I fall to my knees, landing with an echoing, painful thud.

"Impressive. Still in one piece?" I peel my eyelids open, glaring at him, and the looking around the room. Romeo, shaking Wendy, begging her to wake up. Ryo, staggering as he pulls himself up. Thorn, his hand on his knee, staring defiantly at the mage, though obviously out of magic power.

 _How long was I out for?_

The man lifts his head, pointing two fingers at the distracted Romeo. Fuck. He mutters something under his breath savagely.

"Don't you dare!" I shout, sending a shield of ice towards the weakened pair.

"Too late. As usual." He grins a wicked grin as Romeo collapses by the blue-haired girl.

"Damn you," Thorn screams, raising his arms above his head.

"Water Dragon Slayer's Wing Slash!" A surge of scalding water strikes the dark mage, causing him to scream and writhe on the ground in pain as Ryo electrocutes him. The smoke clears, and he stands up, shaking himself off, as though nothing had happened.

"Aren't you tired yet, children? Don't you want to just give up?"

"Never. You hurt my family. People who hurt my family never get away with anything."

"Hmm? Oh, really? I beg to differ. Your parents, what happened to them?" The skin on the back of my neck prickles as my lips twist into a feral snarl. "Did I pinch a nerve? Oh? And what about your friends here? Isn't it all because you weren't strong enough? That's why your two friends are lying on the floor over there, and you and the rest of your little family will be too. All because you weren't good enough."

I falter for a second.

"It may be my fault, but that doesn't mean I'm going to give up. I'll fight you to the last."

"Hmm? Is that so?" I don't notice it's an illusion standing there talking to me, as the real thing sneaks behind me, grabbing my neck with two long-fingered, grimy hands. He laughs.

"Luckily," I choke out, as his hands squeeze tighter, "Men have a weakness." I pick up my left leg, and I aim perfectly. He falls back onto the floor, clutching his crotch. I lean over him as he crouches against the wall. Freezing my hands, I punch him, watching his face go back and forth bruised by me. My hands. He has no chance.

Until he opens his mouth to speak.

"But luckily for me, I'm willing to die in this place," he croaks out. He lets the illusion fall, and I look up to gaze at the change. The mage kicks me backwards, and pins me to the floor.

"Ash!" My team cries weakly, and I turn my attention back to the room.

The support beams are cracking, falling. The ceiling caves in, and chunks of stone fall, landing near the prone figures of Wendy and Romeo. Shit. Gotta get them out of here.

"Grab them, and get out," I say, struggling against the tightening grip on my wrists, "I'll be right behind you. Don't come back though." _I won't be, but that's the only way they're going to leave me here._

The green-eyed mage sneers at me.

"Bullshit," he snarls, so only I can hear his voice, "But I'll take what I can get. You're going down with me." I take advantage of his position, and I lift my knees up, slamming them into his chest. I flip backwards, through where his arms were, and I land, a little wobbly on my feet at first.

"Go, damnit, you idiots," I yell, still scowling at the man as he begins to cast a spell. I glance over my shoulder, Ryo is still barely standing, and struggling to carry Wendy. Romeo's body is slung over Thorn's shoulder. The building gives an ominous tremor as the pillars near the entryway give way.

"I'll be right out," I hiss, knowing full well, these are false hopes, "Go." _Live. For me._ Please. Ryo turns, but Thorn hesitates.

"Didn't you hear her? She said she'll come out, we have to believe her."

Thorn looks at me again.

"I promise, I'll come out," I say, my voice softer, threatening to crack, "Trust me."

He nods.

"See ya', Fullbuster."

"Later, Snowflake."

I give them a small grin. _I never said when I'd be out. So I'm not lying. Right?_

* * *

He's still absorbing magic for the attack. I stoop over, catching my breath.

"Guess you're the last one standing, huh, girly?"

"Damn straight."

"But not for long anyways." He mumbles an incantation, a black magic circle appearing around him. Here goes. I take a deep breath, the scent of the crumbling debris and dust, obvious in the air now.

He seems to float above it, his toes barely touching the now-blackened ground. His hair, flies above his head, and his arms are extended outwards fully, accepting of anything that comes his way. _I can do this._

When he finally opens his mouth, I know it's not the spell of an average illusionist. In fact, it's not even an illusionist spell.

"Devil's Damnation!" A dark spell. The polar opposite of Fairy Law. Defeats anyone the user wishes. Obeys the user's mind, not heart. _But I can do this._ I inhale deeply.

The world turns to dark. A different one. A dark, stifling shadow covers the room, and I feel my life force, my soul, my memories, everything unique about me, escaping my body. No. I promised I would leave this god-forsaken place. I promised them. I can't let them down. I can see Gray's face, and I know I can't do this to him again. I can't ever see him like that again. I won't be the reason he cries again. And I can't break my promise to my team.

I close my eyes, centralizing what's left of my power in my chest. I feel it. The cool, comforting feeling of frozen water. A shell of ice forms around me. _Safe_. I think.

* * *

i don't even know where this came from. the spell she uses at the end is similar to the one ur uses on deliora, but for conveniences sake, it doesn't have to be melted by like moon drip.

omg i just finished watching your lie in april and gaaaaaah i cried. its such a beautiful story, i just want to know what happened at the competition. around episode 20 i was like yay they get to play together again and they give u hope that she's going to survive cause the physical therapy and surgery and then i was like nooooo but anyways, i should be studying for midterms.

hope you liked it!

read and review at your leisure.

zephy out.


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

The building crashes down, crushing the mage, not even scratching the ice.

The date was August 8th, Z97*

* * *

I'm not sure how long I've been here, encased in my own prison. I'm locked away in my own world. A world of ice.

* * *

I think about them all the time. Not just the team. Not just Thorn. Ryo. Wendy. Romeo. But Gray, Mira, Natsu, Erza, Lucy, Gajeel, Levy, Gramps, Laxus, Freed, Evergreen, Bixlow, Max, Juvia, Laki, Macao, Reedus, Cana, Nab, Happy, Carla, Lily. All of them. My family. I miss them.

* * *

Thorn

We walk towards the guild hall, it's already twilight, the sky is a gentle, blushing pink, that bleeds into a deep indigo. The town is quiet.

Those doors. This place. I can't go in. I want to leave. I can't go in.

I look over my shoulder, just to see if she's there, following us. Just to see if she's right behind us. She's not there.

"Ready?" Ryo asks, his bandaged hand on the door.

"No," I say, "But go ahead."

He pulls it open, and we walk in sullenly, quietly. Everyone turns as they realize we've entered. We've never returned from a mission without Romeo's loud yell, Wendy's sweet smile, Ryo's cocky grin, my signature smirk, or Ash. We've never returned without Ash with us.

They stare at us.

I meet her brother's gaze. I've never seen him look like this. Not in all the time I've seen him. He's never had that look in his eye.

"Where's Ash?"

Silence. My throat tightens. My mouth dries up. I can't speak.

Ryo answers for me.

"She said she's coming."

Gray looks confused, hopeful for a second.

"She said she's coming. All we can do is trust her."

"What?"

He wants to be angry. He wants to blame us. He wants to hate us for leaving her. But all he can do, is drop his head to the table, covering his ears with his hands.

"Damnit. No. I can't do this again." He smashes his fist into the wooden surface.

"What'd she say before she-"

"She's not dead, damnit Gray. You're not the only one going through this loss. And it's not a loss. She'll come home, you baka. Have a little faith." He looks up at me, broken down, and in fear.

"I can't lose her again."

"I know." _And I don't want to lose her ever. My nakama._

* * *

"Ash and I left first. We were discussing the mission over dinner, and we had the same suspicions. By the time we realized everyone else was in danger and we had returned to our room, it was too late. Romeo and Wendy were gone, and Ryo was passed out. We waited for him to wake up before we tracked them to the base. But then, the monster that we had actually been sent to eliminate showed up, so Ash and Ryo went back to town."

"God, she was crazy. She climbed up on that huge-ass thing, after I told her to go for the eyes, and stabbed them out, while I was electrocuting him. Master's eyes bulge and Romeo gapes.

"What?" they chorus.

"Yup," Ryo laughs lightly, artfully disguising his true emotions, staring wistfully out the window of Gramps' office.

"So, anyways," Wendy cuts in, "The mage kidnapped me and Romeo after the three of us had been drugged by the inn's food. He was only going to take me, but Romeo put up a fight."

"I went after the two of them, and started a fight with that douche of a mayor and by the time Ryo and Ash had gotten back, I probably wouldn't have been able to go on much longer. That guy, was just insane." I take a deep breath.

"Ash saved me. You too, Sparky," I nudge Ryo's shoulder. "He distracted the guy, and Ash cracked Romeo's chains. She made ice and had Romeo melt it so I could fight. See, the guy was an illusion mage, so I could smell him whether or not he was the real thing."

"But then he made an illusion. I don't know what it was. But it scared her. She was out for a little while. Clutching her head, shaking, screaming and crying. When she snapped out of it, all of us were practically fully drained."

"He knocked out Romeo, and Ash flipped a shit. He pinned her down, and we thought he was going to kill her. We couldn't do anything."

"And?" Master asks, leaning on his head, staring softly at us.

"She kicked him in the balls."

"She what?"

"She kicked him in the balls," I say, my smile wane and thin as I picture her furious expression.

"It turned out, that the whole time, the building was collapsing. The guy had hidden the whole thing with an illusion. A chunk of rocks dropped and almost hit Romeo and Wendy, who were unconscious. Ryo and I were both injured and could barely stand. The mage began to cast this massive spell. She told us to go. She said not to come back for her because she was going to come out." My voice cracks, "She said she was going to be right behind us."

"My boy." I lift my head at the sound of Master's calming voice.

"She never said when she would. She's a smart girl. She wouldn't have said that without reason. Have strength." A single tear tracks down his cheek slowly.

She never said when. Something flutters in my chest, glowing brightly. _Hope._

* * *

Days fade into weeks, and mix into months. _How many? How long have I been here?_

The ice that encases me stops time from occurring within. I'm not hungry, thirsty, aging, or feeling. Everything's in my head.

Until one day.

I feel heat. The heat of what seems like a warm flame, licking cautiously and then hungrily at the frozen material, which begins to melt. My senses return. My body isn't numb. Water soaks my torn clothes and dirty, unwashed hair. The chills from the air creep through my body, goosebumps rise on my skin. I sputter and lift my head from the cracked marble floor, my eyes adjusting to the unfamiliar light.

 _How long has it been?_

I push myself, dragging my hands along the wall as I stand up shakily. _How the hell do I get out of here?_ Recalling the setup of the uncollapsed building, I meander slowly out, crawling through the fallen arches, and making a left turn as I fondly remember the trail of mages that led towards my friends.

* * *

I lean against the trunk of a wide tree, breathing heavily from the effort, still tired from being locked up in _a fucking chunk of ice for who knows how long._

* * *

*Basically to prove that this is an alternate universe because it doesn't really follow the timeline. (That's also my best friend's birthday, but details.)

* * *

hope you guys liked it! i felt like it was sort of fast, but meh.

there will be very few chapters with other povs. i prefer keeping it to just ash, i just felt like it was necessary.

read and review at your leisure.

zephy out.


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

It's been a year. She's not home yet, and I almost can't count the months off on my fingers.

Our table is quiet now. We still sit with us three boys on one side and Wendy on the other. We're waiting for her. Waiting for the fifth to return. We've vowed that we aren't going to go on any missions until she comes home. We will wait.

The guild is quieter now. Gray fights less with Natsu, Erza eats less strawberry cakes, Mira wipes the bar counter down more often, just to pass the time. Sometimes she'll make a blueberry shake, and forget no one's there to drink it every morning. Elfman doesn't shout "Man" much anymore. The Thunder Legion stays out on missions for weeks. They say they aren't looking for her, but it's obvious the brown-hair Demon Slayer has wormed her way into the hearts of the most stoic of members.

She isn't sweet and kind, nor is she a ball of sunshine. She loves all of us in her own way. The amazing comebacks to Laxus's sour moods, the saucy flip of her head as she turns away from her overprotective brother, the feigned innocence on her face when she steals a bite of Erza's cake, the calculating expression when she's in a fight, the tender smile on her face when Asuka wants a bite of her cookie, the furious scowl when somebody hurts part of her family.

We're all lost in thought, picking at our food when Gramps takes the stage.

"Alright, brats!" I don't bother looking up at first.

"That means you, Thorn Hisakawa!" I glower at him.

"Don't give me that face, brat!" He points a reprimanding finger at me.

"It's the time of year again! In exactly three weeks, some number of you will be participating in the S-class exams, on Tenrou Island." _Are you kidding me, Gramps?_ He continues blabbing, and I begin to tune out, staring past him, instead of at him.

" -stand up if you think you know what it means to be an S-class mage and you think you are qualified to be one." No one at our table stands up, and we all stare listlessly back at Master. _I_ _'_ _m not going to try until she comes back._ Gramps lets out a sigh as he glances in our direction before he turns toward the few that did stand up.

"Being an S-class mage means that you are a stronger, more privileged mage who is able to take on more difficult jobs," announces a graceful, willowy girl. Her lavender hair splashes down her back as she stands up. _I think her name is Misaki?_ Master simply nods at her, and she sits down.

"If you're an S-class, that means that you are more powerful than the other members who aren't S-class, and you get to go on jobs with higher-rewards." The boy smiles cockily. _Akira._ I frown slightly, and cross my arms over my chest. _That kid isn't too bad, but with an attitude like that_ … Gramps has the same reaction as me, but Akira doesn't notice his displeasure.

A girl, Mari, stands up.

"S-class mages are more powerful, and do get to take on more advanced jobs because of their title, however, that also means people expect more of you, and expect you to do things better than people who aren't S-class." _Hmph. She's closer._ Gramps nods, a thin smile playing beneath his mustache.

The last one is Kai. We were close when I first joined. He wipes a mob of ginger hair out of his face, revealing his sharp, elven-like eyes.

"Being an S-class means that you belong to a more important part of your guild." I wince slightly at the misinterpretation. "You are a stronger mage, and should be prepared to do anything for your guild, because they are your family and nakama." Gramps motions for him to sit down.

"Does anyone else think that they may have a definition for 'S-class mage'?" He glares at me, his eyes practically piercing my forehead as I avoid his eye contact.

"Perhaps, anyone from that area over there?" He waves at our table in the far corner of the hal. Wendy looks away, as if she hadn't heard a thing. Romeo grimaces and lifts his eyes to look at me pleadingly, _'_ _come on, please?_ _'_. Ryo stares darkly at me, as if to say _'_ _stand your ass up, you pussy_ _'_. I look back at him, _'_ _well, looks who's talking_ _'_ _._ He shrugs. _Damn you both. Freaking peer pressure much?_

I stand up reluctantly, and I can't help but gaze defiantly at the audience.

"Being and S-class mage means that you are a representative of your guild. It's not just a title you're taking on, you also have more responsibilities and more burdens, so you have to be both physically and mentally ready to take them. Although you may be more powerful, being S-class doesn't give you the privilege of lording over your peers, and you must still treat them with respect, if not more. If you're an S-class mage, you shouldn't just be in it for the jobs and their reward money. You were elevated because Master saw that your heart was in the right place, not just because of your hard work to become more powerful."

There is a silence. A long silence. Master gives me a _look_. Abruptly sitting down, I resume my blank stares toward the ceiling. _I've never talked for that long in my life._ I stifle a laugh.

The guild breaks into a smattering of applause that crescendo into a standing ovation, but I ignore it, unable to think about even becoming an S-class mage with the whole team by my side.

Master tacks a piece of paper to the wall behind him, and walks off the stage. Excited shouts and irritated protests fill the air as people clamor towards it.

"What is it?"

"What does it say?"

"Let me see!"

"YOU'RE GOING TO RIP IT!"

"Come on, lemme see!"

Laxus jumps down from the second floor, his face furious and absolutely pissed off. He zaps anyone who gets in his way and snatches the paper from a gleeful Akira.

"Gimme it, you scrub," he snarls.

"Alright, you idiots. Wendy Marvell, Mikasa Hoshi, Mari Akselsen, Ryo Dreyar, Thorn Hisakawa, Akira Gunvaldsson, Romeo Conbolt, and Kai Zerrta have been nominated to participate in the S-Class Exams of Z98."

 _I'm not going to do it_. I can barely hear my own thoughts over the noise and celebration of the other contestants.

"It doesn't feel right to participate in the exams without Ash here," Wendy says, her voice trembling as she says her name.

"It's not fair to her, especially because she deserves the opportunity more than us at this rate," Romeo echoes.

Ryo and I nod in agreement. _It just doesn't feel okay._

We stand to leave, opting out of the festivities of the others. Before we reach the doors, somebody puts a hand on my shoulder. Gray.

"I don't blame you for that mission. Neither would Ash. So you guys better get your heads out of your asses, stop feeling guilty about shit that isn't your fault, and fight as hard as you can. Master handed you this chance on a silver platter, and if you don't take it, she's going to beat the goddamn shit out of you when she gets back." He slaps my shoulder lightly, and as he turns away he manages a smirk.

"Fight for her, okay?"

* * *

hey sorry for not updating in what seems like forever. don't worry the shameless fluff is yet to come. romance will bloom.

thank you to al 17 of my followers and favoriters, and over 2000 viewers.

read and review at your leisure.

zephy out,


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

I brush the beads of sweat from my forehead as I weigh my scant options. Go directly back to the guild or...or… I almost can't bring myself to mention the other.

I could potentially take a detour. Train by myself so that next time, I can protect all of us. Find the missing piece in me. It's funny. I laugh to myself. I need to leave the people who raised me what I am today to find myself.

Two sides of me fight, battling, measuring the pros and cons. The loyal, the brave girl ready to return to her friends and the selfish mage abandoning those same friends to go on a pilgrimage to find herself. I pick the latter.

* * *

It's been a year. Well, almost anyways. July 7, Z98

* * *

My bag is full of provisions from a nearby village. There is no convenient train station nor a kind, traveling merchant willing to give me a ride to the next town, so I walk along the road appreciating the peacefulness of my surroundings.

Night begins to fall, the darkness enveloping me. I still haven't arrived at the stupid town the innkeeper told me about when he said he didn't have anymore rooms. Liar.

An owl hoots softly and moths flutter by my head, ghosting my chilled, rosy cheeks. But that innkeeper did warn against stopping on the road at night as unsuspecting travelers were the often and easy prey of local bandits and dark mages. My hike continues without interruption, but as I come to a fork in the road, the branches of a tree rustle eerily. I pretend not to notice it, and I can almost see the gleeful expression of my soon-to-be perpetrator or perpetrators. Barely noticeable are two pairs of light footsteps that trail almost-silently behind me, slipping behind trees as I tilt my head to the side a futile attempt to catch a glimpse of the fleeting figures in the shadows.

I feel the hot breath of a man on my neck, a malicious laugh and a sneering voice.

"Gotchu now."

 _Is this guy really that dumb?_ I sigh, lifting my heel upwards. Rule Number One about Dealing with Ash: Never ever out your balls where they could get hit.

"You're acting like I've given in already," I grumble, pushing my foot backwards, "Why don't men ever learn?"

There is an indignant cry of pain as my foot meets its target and he flops backwards ungracefully while I continue walking on the moonlit trail.

"You think you can get away that easily?" Another man jeers, flashing a knife near my face, stoop a bit, and dodge the poorly aimed weapon easily.

"There's two of us and one of you, we're going to get our fun tonight whether you want it or not."

I scoff, lazily strolling forward. Despite my absentminded appearance, I am more aware than ever, knowing full well they were trying to surprise me. _Puhleeze. Ryo and Thorn are way out your league on this one, boys._

The blade glints under the silver light as I grab the hilt and twist it out of the burly man's hand, flipping it into my own. I move forward quickly, brushing the sharp edge beneath his chin.

"Are you done yet?"

"Not yet!"

The other man comes barreling towards me, his wicked smile gleaming maliciously as he twirls the katana through the cold night air.

 _Shing!_

I deflect the thin blade easily with an ice-covered hand. With the moment of distraction, I smash my frozen fist into his flabby abdomen. He soars backward, landing in a puddle of mud.

Turning back the other man, I flick my wrist lightly, scratching him. He winces and draws away, surprised by the sudden movement.

"Are you guys satisfied now?"

I don't wait for a response as I continue down the footpath, slipping the reddened dagger into my belt.

"You'll be sorry you ever messed with the Shadow Demons!" _Demons, huh?_ I smirk to myself. _Whatever._

* * *

A few months pass by in a blink of an eye as I train in the outskirts of a nearby town. _Lanquesta._ Grassy, refreshing hills border the small sea-side town. The rocky cliffs that overlook the ocean remind me of home, and I chastise myself gently for letting myself get too nostalgic. I can't go back until I can protect all of them.

My team's predicted responses echo in my head.

"Are you fucking insane, Fullbuster?"

"Honestly though, Snowflake, give it a rest."

"And we can protect ourselves too, you know."

"Have a little faith, Ash."

* * *

The hustle and bustle of the market brings a small, sad smile to my face. It's nothing compared to the open air market in Magnolia, but it's a faint reminder. I wander through the crowded streets, picking up necessities, idly exchanging pleasantries. The air smells of street food and spices. Someone bumps into me and I stumble slightly. _Well, if you'll excuse me._ As the man looks up, I see his face. It's him.

* * *

let the suspense build. don't fight it.

i've been working really hard on my other story, Are You Single? i swear i didn't mean to neglect this one.

read and review at your leisure. (reviews would be great)

zephy out


	24. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

It's him. The curve of his face. His wide, surprised eyes. His forever-unruly hair. His hand running through his hair nervously. The tight, navy blue shirt, wrapping neatly around his body. His backpack flung carelessly over his left shoulder. His right foot pointed slightly to the side as he puts most of his weight on the other.

"So, uh, how's it going?" I ask, waving my hand in front of the Water Dragon Slayer's face.

"You've been gone more than a year and a half now, and that's the first thing you ask? We've been thinking about you every fucking day. Worrying our sorry asses off, and you're here, in some tiny, seaside town, buying groceries? Where've you been? Why haven't you come back yet?"

"I couldn't," I reply.

"Why not?"

"I just couldn't, okay? I can't explain it without feeling like an absolute dumbass." I begin to walk away, but Thorn grabs my arm.

"Well, I don't care if you sound like an absolute dumbass, don't you think at least the team deserves an explanation? Don't you think Gray does?"

I tug on his arm, leading him towards the training clearing.

"I couldn't go back because I felt like I failed all of you. The whole guild. I'm was suppose to be able to easily get out of that mess, with all five of us. I was the last one standing, I should've been able to get us back home. But I couldn't. I couldn't very well return to the guild, in a weakened state after losing over a year of training, so I've been traveling around, training, beating up rogue bandits and dark mages and waiting."

"Waiting for…?"

"I don't even know," I sigh, flopping backwards on my back, not caring about the amount of sand that will be encrusted all over my clothes, "Why are you even out here? I legitimately went so far away from Magnolia just to avoid all of you. Where's the team?"

"All of us are taking solo missions for a little. We're all actually looking for you, but nobody knows that. I think. Since the S-class trials ended, we've had a lot more freedom and we don't have to worry about much, except for, you know, YOU," he growls.

"Did you fight Kai?"

"I beat the bastard's ass into the wall."

"What about Akira?"

"Ryo had the pleasure."

I laugh out loud at the thought of it.

"Who else made it?"

"Mari and Misaki. Only Kai and the rest of the team passed though."

"Ha. Akira passing the S-class trials is a complete joke. That idiot acts like he has a stick up his ass, the way he swaggers around."

He chuckles, tracing his fingers through the sand.

"So how's your training been going?"

"Alright, I suppose."

"Really?" He arches a challenging eyebrow, "You wanna go?"

"Why not?" I shrug easily.

* * *

I literally beat the boy just as easily. He lies on the foliage-covered floor, his eyes glazed by shock and exhaustion, and I kick his foot.

"Well, get up," I say, frustrated.

"B-but how?" Thorn sits up, rubbing his throbbing, slightly swollen temple.

I shrug, and grab his extended hand.

"Do you have a mission to complete? I'll help you with it."

"Yeah, it was for a dark guild. Demon something."

I laugh quietly, kicking at the pebbly trail, as we walk back to his inn.

"Yeah, those guys are babies."

He scoffs.

"Really." Thorn leans his head back lazily, and turns to look at me.

I stare back at him.

"Really," I confirm, remembering the run-in, "I beat two of them without magic."

As we near the warmly-lit inn, he opens the door mockingly.

"Ladies first." I smile wanly..

"Watch yourself, Hisakawa."

By the time we climb the four flights of stairs to his room, I realize it was probably a waste of time.

"You can stay, if you like. We've shared a room about a thousand times, so it's no biggy if you don't want to go all the back to wherever you've been living."

"Do you have food?"

"Only if you have manners."

"You ass."

"Well, it means more food for me."

I slap his shoulder.

"Greedy."

"Like you aren't," he shoots back.

"Touche," I respond from my place on the bed.

"'Scuse me, Fullbuster. You can take the couch."

"I'm the lady."

"You can't be a lady without manners."

"Screw off," I mutter.

"Heard that," Thorn responds in a muffled voice. _Dragon Slayers and their hearing._

"I'm not surprised." I sit up to look at my teammate. His shirt is flung carelessly over his arm and he swallows a bite of his sandwich. _Well, there's not much of a difference seeing that the damn thing clings around his body anyways._

"Want some?"

I nod tiredly.

"Say please."

"Please go fuck yourself," I say, flopping back on the bed.

"Manners," he scolds, twirling a butter knife in his hand.

"Please. Food. Now."

"Netherdal," he murmurs.

"My hearing isn't that bad, you know?"

He grins wolfishly at me, lettuce, bread, hard salami and tomatoes half spilling out of his mouth. "Well, we know why you don't have a girlfriend now."

Thorn swallows before exiting the bedroom.

"I'm taking a shower, don't eat too much, we need some for tomorrow morning." I scramble out of the warm confines of the bed, generously slapping processed meat and canned vegetables onto my bread.

* * *

"Are you done yet?" I call as I hear the shower turn off. There's a quiet reply from the dark-haired teen.

"What?" I shout again.

He walks out the bathroom, his shorts sitting low on his hips, showcasing his toned stomach. _Damn. What the fuck?_

"Like what you see? And you have bad hearing."

"Shut up, Thorn," I snarl as he grins wider, "I've seen better." I snatch up my clothes, forgetting my shirt in my bout of anger.

* * *

"Fuck," I mutter from the bathroom as I pull on my sports bra. _I didn't bring my fucking shirt. Well, la di fucking da. Payback's a bitch, Thorn._ Snickering to myself, I let my hair cascade over my arms, framing my slightly pink face. I fold my shorts once over, knowing full well the effects. Gazing in the mirror at my appearance, I smile saucily at the reflection before walking outside.

"Have you seen my shirt, Thorn?"

Thorn

"No?" I shrug, as I turn to look at her. _What the damn, Fullbuster?_ The room feels uncomfortably warm, although it should feel quite the opposite with an ice mage in the room. I feel my face flush slightly at her toned midriff and her slender, clearly muscular legs. _Damnit, Fullbuster, you know exactly what you're doing._ She smiles at me.

"What? Like what you see?" Her voice drips with sassiness as she smirks at me. _Yeah, I fucking do._

I pick up a discarded shirt and chuck it at her sneering face. It's one of mine. But she puts it on without missing a beat. _Hot damn._ I shake my head. _Gray is going to kill me._

"I'm going to bed," she says, sliding underneath the covers, her shorts riding a little higher on her leg. _Is that even possible?_

Ash

 _What the fuck is happening. I'm wearing my teammate's shirt. We're close and everything, but I didn't know we were this close._ I close my eyes, and shudder as I cover my probably red face with the blankets. _Why is he so damn, dare I say it, attractive._

Thorn

"There's no fucking way I'm sleeping on the couch," I say, loudly, knowing full well Ash can hear me.

"I know you're awake."

"Fuck you," she mutters, her voice blocked by the comforters.

I crawl in on the other side and she curls further onto hers.

"Stay on your side."

* * *

Hours pass and I can't fall asleep still. Ash can't either, her breathing is erratic and harsh.

"Are you coming back home?" I ask, my voice softer and more soothing than I intended.

"Yeah. I don't know. Maybe. No. Yes." She clutches her head, "I don't know. Everything's changed, people are different, what if people don't like me anymore. What if it's the same as before?"

I know what she's referring to. The beginning, when she didn't have anyone.

"You have me and the rest of the team and your brother."

"What if Gray gets on his stupid protective streak again?"

"Well, he certainly has earned the chance because you keep disappearing on him."

"I'm not four anymore."

"Well, you're acting like it." She ignores the comment, and presses further.

"What if he doesn't want to see me ever again?"

"He does," I say, turning over onto the other side to face her, "And if he doesn't we'll make him want to."

"Why wasn't I strong enough?"

"It wasn't your fault, Ash. You have to understand. You saved us, and you're still alive. It won't go back to what we had exactly, two years ago. People have changed, people are different. Mari and Misaki and Akira are salty little bitches, complaining about how unfair it was. Kai thinks he's too cool and sashays to the second floor, waving the missions in front of everyone. But Elfman still yells about being a man. Laxus still sits on the balcony. Natsu and your brother still fight, I mean, less because you aren't there. Erza still eats strawberry cake, and she always looks for you. You're special. Erza only shares her cake with you. Mira always puts out a blueberry shake for you. Gray always makes an extra plate of waffles in the morning. Don't ask how I know that. Ryo bullies Romeo more than usual because he thinks it's all his fault. Wendy cries whenever your name is uttered in the hall. Gajeel doesn't talk to anyone anymore besides Levy and Lily. Levy doesn't read too much anymore. Lucy tries to be happy, but it's so fake. They miss you and they want you back."

"What if they're only romanticising the idea of me being ba-"

"Can you shut up, just for a moment?" I snarl, putting a hand on top of her protesting mouth.

"They want you back. That's it. Don't you understand? Cana doesn't drink anymore. Not at all. She's been sober for a year. She's been a cranky ass bitch for a year. That's how serious it is. They need you. We need you. I need you." _Why am I so fucking cheesy._

Ash rolls toward me, and the single tear tracking down her cheek is clear under the silver moonlight shining through the window.

"Really?"

"Are you dumb, Ash Fullbuster? Of course." I open my arms, holding my teammate's body to mine, embracing her tightly.

Ash

 _He said he what me?_

 _He gives nice hugs._

 _What the fuck?_

* * *

AND THERE WE HAVE IT. FLUFF.

oh blossoming true love.

i think.

who knows?

sorry, it's been forever since I've updated.

feel free to message me about suggestions for the plot, new characters etc

thank you for all your lovely reviews and follows

zephy out


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